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What an update inside Ridglan Farms case as this episode goes live.
Today I’m speaking with Christopher Berry, Executive Director of the Nonhuman Rights Project — the only civil rights organisation in the United States dedicated to securing fundamental rights for nonhuman animals through litigation, legislation, and education.
We discuss a groundbreaking legal case involving Wisconsin-based puppy mill Ridglan Farms. The facility breeds beagles specifically to be sold into research laboratories. The Nonhuman Rights Project, together with the Animal Activist Legal Defense Project, filed a lawsuit arguing that the dogs themselves have a legal right to be protected from cruelty.
As Christopher and I recorded this conversation, the case had just been dismissed.
Then — only this past week — activists from Direct Action Everywhere entered Ridglan Farms and liberated 22 of the nearly 2,000 dogs being held there. Police intercepted another eight dogs during the action.
Criminal animal abuse at this facility has been documented since 2017. Ridglan Farms is reportedly planning to shut down — likely to avoid charges — yet the fate of the thousands of dogs still inside remains uncertain. They could still be euthanised or sold into laboratory experiments.
This case raises a bigger question: what would change if animals themselves held legal rights? For centuries, the law has treated animals as property — as legal “things” with no rights of their own.
And while cruelty laws technically exist in every state, they are often weakly enforced or ignored altogether. This case challenges that system directly.
Today we talk about the Ridglan Farms case, the legal strategy behind it, and what recognising rights for animals could mean for the future.
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What pulled Christopher toward this work — securing legal rights for non-human animals? Was it a specific case, or an individual animal that stayed with you?
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Right now animals are legally property. In simple terms, what does that allow humans to do that the law should prevent?
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Animal cruelty laws already exist: why aren’t they preventing situations like this? What actually stops enforcement from happening?
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The Ridglan Farms lawsuit isn’t just alleging cruelty — NhRP is saying the dogs themselves hold a legal right. What changes, practically, if a court agrees with that?
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If a court recognises rights for dogs, who is next?
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Is this a case we can make effectively for the animals we exploit for food?
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If NhRP ultimately succeeds, what industries would change first — research, agriculture, entertainment, or pet ownership?
As this case continues to unfold, it reveals so much about the system itself — who the law protects, and who it still doesn’t.
At the centre of all of this are thousands of living beings, entirely dependent on human decisions — reliant on others to speak for them in court, on activists to step in when the legal system falls short, and even on people like you and I to share what’s happening, and to pay attention.
This conversation isn’t just about one facility, or even one case. It’s about a deeper question: whether the law can evolve to recognise vulnerability where it already exists — and responsibility where it always has.
Connect with Nonhuman Rights Project across the socials: Instagram | Youtube | Facebook | X | LinkedIn.
That’s it for this week in Healthification.
Prioritise Your Health, the Animals, and the Planet—One Empowering Habit at a Time with the Plant Positive Journal Version 2 (printed and fillable PDF)
This journal and daily planner follows a twelve month format however is not dated so it is perfect to use at ANY time of the year.
Connect with Kate across the socials: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | LinkedIn | YouTube and her Skool Community, Plant Positive.
With love and gratitude plant friends.
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