Dane County Circuit Judge Rhonda Lanford announced today that she will appoint a special prosecutor to pursue charges against a Blue Mounds dog breeder that include animal mistreatment and cruelty, according to the Wisconsin State Journal. The move follows years of complaints from animal rights activists and a perceived lack of action by local officials, including the district attorney.
Lanford’s 23-page decision and order says the activists’ evidence is sufficient to pursue felony and misdemeanor charges against Ridglan Farms, which allegedly conducted medical procedures on dogs without anesthesia and did not provide appropriate living conditions for the animals. Evidence also showed that Ridglan Farms, which breeds the dogs for use in medical experimentation, employed fewer than 20 full-time workers and housed roughly 3,200 dogs.
Lanford issued the order under a rarely used state law allowing circuit court judges to appoint special prosecutors in the event that the local defense attorney “refuses or is unavailable to issue a complaint.” Lanford said she will seek to draw a prosecutor from other county district attorneys’ offices or from the Wisconsin Attorney General’s Office. Failing that, she will recruit a private attorney to pursue the charges.
