Dane4Dogs Ltd.

Grassroots campaign501(c)(3)Dane County, Wisconsin · Tax-exempt since 2019

Municipal bans passed

Dog/cat experimentation

501(c)(3)

Tax-exempt status

EIN 84-2095488

308

DATCP violation counts

Cited against Ridglan (2025)

Jul 2026

License surrender deadline

Ridglan settlement

Organization Overview

Dane4Dogs Ltd. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit (EIN 84-2095488) co-founded by Rebekah Robinson (president) and Jamie Hagenow. Its stated mission is to end the breeding, sale, and use of dogs and cats for painful or distressing experimentation, and to support modern scientific alternatives. The organization operates in Dane County, Wisconsin, where Ridglan Farms runs a beagle-breeding and on-site research operation near Blue Mounds and Madison.

Robinson was described in a 2019 local profile under the name “Rebekah Klemm,” consistent with a later name change. Multiple reports place the founding in 2018, though one TV report states Robinson “created” the organization in 2017 after seeing DxE's undercover video from Ridglan. The ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer listing shows IRS ruling year 2019, confirming Dane4Dogs was operating before its tax-exempt recognition and before the 2020 municipal-ordinance campaigns that credited the group for “leading the way.”

Dane4Dogs maintains a website, email contact (info@dane4dogs.org), donation infrastructure, and promotes Signal group chats for organizing. Its public-facing posture centers on policy, enforcement campaigns, public education, and constituent pressure on decision-makers — not direct-action rescue.

The Coalition to Save the Ridglan Beagles

Key Finding

The “Coalition to Save the Ridglan Beagles” (more commonly cited in local reporting as “Coalition to Save the Ridglan Dogs”) is a distinct campaign coalition organized around direct actions at Ridglan. Its online and fundraising footprint is tied to Wayne Hsiung's Simple Heart Initiative, not Dane4Dogs. The coalition's primary campaign page (savethedogs.io) carries a 2026 copyright to Hsiung, and its Zeffy fundraiser lists Simple Heart as the organizer.

Organizational Distinction

Dane4Dogs explicitly distanced itself from the March 2026 direct action. Its model is community organizing, regulatory pressure, and legal proceedings — not trespass-based rescue. The coalition and Dane4Dogs operate in the same advocacy space with overlapping goals but are legally and operationally separate. Understanding this distinction is critical for mapping the organizational ecosystem around Ridglan.

March 15, 2026: The Coalition Rescue

A group “led by Wayne Hsiung (and not affiliated with Dane4Dogs)” entered Ridglan and removed beagles. Dane4Dogs reported 30 rescued, with 8 taken back by law enforcement and 22 reaching “safety.” Law enforcement stated activists said 31 dogs were taken, with 8 intercepted and several others “unaccounted for.” Veterinary examinations found “almost all of them” had severe paw issues consistent with wire flooring conditions documented in the special-prosecutor petition.

April 2026 Escalation Plans

On March 21, 2026, Hsiung described a plan to mobilize 2,000 people for an April 12 action at Ridglan, framing it as a scale-up from the March rescue. The coalition's campaign site is structured around “#Ridglan8” messaging — referencing the dogs returned to the facility — as a rallying point for further direct action.

The Special Prosecutor Campaign

Key Finding

Dane4Dogs was a named petitioner (alongside Wayne Hsiung and Alliance for Animals) in the citizen petition that led to a court-ordered special prosecutor investigation of Ridglan Farms. The petition was filed March 2024 under Wisconsin's statutory procedure when a district attorney “refuses” to issue a complaint. The court found petitioners had submitted evidence and complaints to county agencies “beginning in May of 2018” without resulting action.

Evidentiary Hearing (October 23, 2024)

Six witnesses testified, including former Ridglan employees who described “cherry eye” procedures performed by non-veterinarians without anesthesia. Judge Rhonda L. Lanford found probable cause and granted the petition on January 9, 2025 (Case No. 2024JD000001). Special prosecutor Tim Gruenke (La Crosse County DA) was appointed to investigate.

The October 28, 2025 Settlement

Ridglan signed an agreement to surrender its Wisconsin breeding license by July 1, 2026, avoiding criminal prosecution. A critical limitation: the agreement allows Ridglan to continue sales until the deadline and to maintain separate federally licensed research operations afterward. Ridglan could “offload” remaining dogs (sell them) prior to July 1 rather than placing them into adoption pathways. Dane4Dogs was not a formal party to the settlement but was the petitioner whose legal effort made the special prosecutor possible. Robinson is quoted in reporting as framing the deal as a step, not an endpoint, in a broader campaign.

Ridglan's Retaliatory Lawsuit — Dismissed

In April 2025, Ridglan filed a civil lawsuit against Dane4Dogs and named individuals with “extortion”-styled claims. The case was dismissed with prejudice on January 20, 2026 — meaning it cannot be refiled. The dismissal removed a financial threat designed to chill grassroots advocacy.

Nonhuman Rights Project Filing (February 2026)

The Nonhuman Rights Project and the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project filed a habeas-style claim seeking release of remaining Ridglan dogs. Dane4Dogs framed this as a “groundbreaking” effort to enforce a right to be free from cruelty — a novel legal theory being tested in the Ridglan context.

Local Advocacy Tactics

Dane4Dogs's organizing model is built on traditional grassroots tactics calibrated to a county where local officials are directly accountable to the voters it mobilizes. The organization converts abstract animal-welfare concerns into visible, local political pressure.

Yard-Sign Distribution

Structured program with pickup points in Madison, Mount Horeb, and surrounding areas. Supporters can become local sign distributors. Visible signage keeps the Ridglan campaign in public consciousness across the county.

Letter-Writing & Official Contact

Organized campaigns to local publications and officials. The website provides contact information for decision-makers and promotes calls to DATCP. The model generates sustained constituent pressure on regulators and elected officials.

Vigils & Courthouse Speak-Outs

Repeated gatherings near Ridglan, at public hearings, and at courthouse proceedings. Events are documented through photo galleries on the Dane4Dogs site. Tabling at community events extends public visibility.

Regulatory Monitoring

Dane4Dogs tracks veterinary licensing and disciplinary actions against Ridglan's veterinary leadership, monitors inspection outcomes, files complaints with licensing bodies, and publicizes enforcement gaps. This work keeps attention on remaining dogs during the settlement wind-down period.

Key Finding

Dane County Board Resolution 119 requested DATCP revoke Ridglan's license — the county government formally aligning with advocacy organizations against a facility in its jurisdiction. This outcome demonstrated the effectiveness of Dane4Dogs' constituent-pressure model at converting grassroots energy into official action.

Legislative Work: 7 Municipal Bans

Ground-Up Legislative Strategy

Dane4Dogs helped pass municipal ordinances banning dog and cat experimentation (and in some cities, all animal experimentation) in seven Wisconsin communities. The Richland Center ordinance (2020) was publicly praised by HSUS's Wisconsin affiliate, which thanked Dane4Dogs for “leading the way.” These local bans create a patchwork of restrictions that collectively shift the political landscape and build momentum for state-level legislation.

Wisconsin Beagle Freedom Bill (SB 414 / AB 436)

Dane4Dogs is advocating for the Wisconsin Beagle Freedom Bill. Key dates: co-sponsorship memo August 18, 2025; formal introduction September 4, 2025; public hearing January 27, 2026. Dane4Dogs opposed weakening amendments introduced January 22, 2026. The bill follows BFP's model legislation framework, requiring facilities to offer dogs and cats for adoption after studies.

Regulatory Pressure: DATCP Engagement

Dane4Dogs tracks and pressures the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) on Ridglan enforcement. By September 2025, DATCP records showed 308 counts of alleged mistreatment plus additional violations, with the agency proposing $55,148.50 in civil forfeiture fines.

The DATCP enforcement arc included an “Initial Notice of Non-Compliance” (November 8, 2024) and a “Notice of Administrative Conference” (November 18, 2024) warning of potential penalties up to license suspension, revocation, and criminal referral.

Methodology Caveat

A critical limitation Dane4Dogs highlights: DATCP states it lacks authority to seize animals, placing seizure decisions under local jurisdiction. This gap means regulatory enforcement alone cannot remove dogs from documented cruelty — a structural constraint that fuels direct-action arguments from coalition partners.

Relationship with DxE & Simple Heart

The connection between Dane4Dogs and DxE runs through Wayne Hsiung, described in filings and organizational pages as a co-founder and former lead organizer of Direct Action Everywhere (DxE). In 2017, DxE investigators entered Ridglan and removed three beagles — “Julie, Anna, and Lucy” — resulting in criminal charges against Eva Hamer, Paul Darwin Picklesimer, and Hsiung. The Ridglan beagle trial was ultimately dismissed pre-trial in 2024.

Robinson's own stated origin for Dane4Dogs traces to seeing DxE's undercover video from Ridglan. Hsiung later co-petitioned with Dane4Dogs for the special prosecutor. However, the organizations maintain distinct identities: Dane4Dogs operates through community organizing and legal channels; Hsiung's Simple Heart Initiative organizes the coalition's direct-action campaigns. The personal overlap (co-petitioning, shared cause) does not make them a single entity.

Key People

Rebekah Robinson

President & Co-Founder, Dane4Dogs

Previously identified as Rebekah Klemm in 2019 profiles. Named petitioner in the special prosecutor case. Quoted in post-settlement reporting and in the 2025 Center for a Humane Economy coalition statement to NIH addressing Ridglan and beagle-based research.

Jamie Hagenow

Co-Founder, Dane4Dogs

Named on Dane4Dogs' litigation-related page as co-founder. Less publicly visible than Robinson but part of the founding leadership structure.

Wayne Hsiung

Co-Petitioner · Simple Heart Initiative

Attorney and animal-rights investigator. Co-founder/former lead organizer of DxE. Co-petitioner with Dane4Dogs in the special-prosecutor process. Leads the coalition's direct-action campaigns through Simple Heart, operating independently of Dane4Dogs.

Tim Gruenke

Special Prosecutor (La Crosse County DA)

Appointed by the court following the January 2025 probable-cause finding. Led the investigation that produced the October 2025 settlement requiring Ridglan to surrender its breeding license.

Organizational Relationships

DxE / Simple Heart

Hsiung co-petitioned for special prosecutor. Personal/organizational overlap but distinct entities. Coalition rescue led by Hsiung, not Dane4Dogs.

Alliance for Animals

Co-petitioner in special prosecutor case. Founded 1983; 40+ years of institutional credibility lending weight to the grassroots petition.

Beagle Freedom Project

National rescue and legislative org founded by Shannon Keith (2010). BFP's model legislation framework adopted for Wisconsin's proposed Beagle Freedom Bill.

HSUS Wisconsin

Praised Richland Center ordinance in 2020, thanking Dane4Dogs for “leading the way.” Relationship most visible in policy/ordinance settings and public communications support.

Legal Support Network

Animal Activist Legal Defense Project at University of Denver Sturm College of Law represented petitioners in the special prosecutor process. Nonhuman Rights Project filed a February 2026 habeas-style claim for remaining Ridglan dogs.

Current Status: Approaching July 2026

As of March 2026, the July 1 breeding-license surrender deadline remains the dominant time marker shaping both advocacy and direct action. Dane4Dogs' current posture centers on preventing remaining dogs from being sold into research pipelines before the deadline and pushing DATCP to revoke or curtail licensing sooner and/or compel independent veterinary assessment and removal of dogs needing urgent care.

Ridglan's licensing transition remains complex: while the Wisconsin breeding license is to be relinquished by July 1, separate licensure allows continued on-site research operations. Ridglan has indicated intent to continue operating under federal licensing even after the state breeding-license surrender. This distinction is central to why both Dane4Dogs and the coalition continue to press for an adoption-oriented “transition plan” rather than a sell-off of remaining dogs.