Medical progress will not stop if this ordinance is passed.  

  • Dog and cat experimentation makes up less than 1% of all animal experimentation.
  • Dogs and cats are used in far more than just medical research, including product testing. Examples include force-feeding dogs laundry detergent, refrigerator gas, and pesticides.

 

Research Puppy Mills negatively affect property values.  MLS data from homes surrounding Ridglan Farms, a research puppy mill just outside of Mount Horeb, found that:

  • Homes within 1 mile averaged 132 days on market.
  • Homes between 1-2 miles averaged 106 days on market.
  • Homes between 2-5 miles averaged 73 days on market.
  • Dane County average is 69 days on market.

 

In January 2020, Richland Center passed a very similar ordinance banning the sale and use of dogs and cats in painful or distressing experimentation.  

 

Dog experimentation is cruel and wasteful.

  • Dogs in labs never get to go outside. They never get to touch grass or feel the warmth of the sun.  They’re kept in a metal cage their entire life.
    • A 2016 Wisconsin state inspection of Ridglan Farms found that, “A number of adult dogs in the facility were displaying prominent stereotypical behaviors; such as circling, pacing, and wall bouncing.”
  • If experimenters did to their dogs at home what they do to dogs in labs, they would be charged with animal cruelty.
    • On Nov 25, 2019, President Trump signed the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture Act. This new law contains exemptions for medical or scientific research; without these exemptions, animal experiments would be considered animal cruelty and torture.
  • “Currently, nine out of ten experimental drugs fail in clinical studies because we cannot accurately predict how they will behave in people based on laboratory and animal studies,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt.
  • “…animal experimentation often significantly harms humans through misleading safety studies, potential abandonment of effective therapeutics, and direction of resources away from more effective testing methods. The resulting evidence suggests that the collective harms and costs to humans from animal experimentation outweigh potential benefits and that resources would be better invested in developing human-based testing methods.”

 

Ending dog experimentation has broad bi-partisan support:

 

Additional Sources:

 

Are you upset about the unwanted research puppy mill attempting to move into Spring Green? 

  • Write a letter to the editor.  Anyone can do this, it’s easy!  Simply type up a paragraph or two and email it to your local papers.
  • Put up a yard sign. You can pick up a free yard sign at these locations.
  • Contact your legislators.  Click here to enter your address and search for your County Supervisor.  Contact them and tell them you want them to pass legislation banning research puppy mills.  Invite them to contact Dane4Dogs for help with drafting legislation. 
  • Volunteer.  Volunteers distribute yard signs, provide information at local events at a Dane4Dogs booth, and/or go door to door gathering signatures and raising awareness.  You’ll learn a lot, meet some nice people, and make a real difference.  Join us!
  • Donate.  Donations will fund legal filing fees, yard signs, water/snacks for volunteers while they go door to door and printing costs associated with handouts and petitions.  Donate here.

What is all this about?

Jill Janssen Kane and Clint Kane own a house in Spring Green and they rent a property approx. 3 miles away that is a former veal barn on Big Hollow Road.  They are applying for permits to house large numbers of dogs that will be bred and sold for experimentation.

Growing Barn – CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT WAS APPROVED ON JULY 23, 2019
The applicants stated that they would house approx. 150 hounds (starting number) at the Big Hollow Property – this would be the “growing” facility and pups would be brought to facility around 7-8 weeks old and separated from the mothers who would be re-bred. The applicants initially told the board they would have 150 dogs, but at the village meeting on Jun 19, their lawyer said the number would grow and they could potentially be looking at up to 1000 dogs. Dogs will not be allowed outside at anytime.

Whelping Garage – CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT WAS DENIED ON JULY 17, 2019; WI Circuit Court overruled on Jan 15, 2021
They would like to whelp the puppies in their residence garage on Pearl Road. Per their lawyer, they would be looking to house approximately 6 hounds in the garage to whelp puppies.  They are expecting litters of approximately 8 puppies per mother, so up to 48 puppies plus the 6 mothers, for a total of 54 dogs in the garage. 

Prior to the May 19 meeting the board was not aware of the intent of this operation. They thought it was for an application to have a dog daycare facility, boarding facility. The permit they applied for is for commercial use. This is the same permit that dog groomers and dog daycares use. Citizens mentioned they were also not given the full details on this operation.

Timeline

Jan 15, 2021: Village Lawsuit

  • Wisconsin Circuit Court decides that a research puppy mill falls under commercial kennel as used in village ordinance; court rules that the decision of the Village of Spring Green Board of Zoning Appeals is reversed.  Petition for request for a CUP is remanded (sent to a lower court).

Aug 13, 2020: Sauk County LRE

  • Dan, Barb, and Maddie Ouimet attended a Sauk County LRE Committee meeting.  They told the committee that they were speaking on behalf of a large, passionate group of residents.  They explained how the process to obtain the Conditional Use Permit was flawed, in part because the applicants misled the Committee.  They detailed a list of violations that had been documented by both the County and the State since the permit had been issued.  They pointed out the inordinate amount of LRE staff resources that were required to deal with these violations.  They reminded the Committee that the CUP clearly states that a single violation is grounds for revocation.  And, because of all of this, they asked the Committee to revoke the CUP.

June 2, 2020: Sauk County Lawsuit

  • Sauk County Circuit Court judge dismissed the Spring Green residents’ lawsuit against the Sauk County Board of Appeals, determining that the BoA had not acted inappropriately in finding that the residents are not aggrieved by the approval of a nearby research puppy mill. The residents noted that the conditional use permit has and would have an effect on the use and enjoyment of their property, property values, as well as ground and air contamination, but the judge still sided with the BoA.

April 7, 2019: Spring Green Village Voters Ban Research Puppy Mills

  • Spring Green voters pass a ballot initiative to ban research puppy mills.

Nov 17, 2019: Village Lawsuit

  • The research puppy mill files a lawsuit against the village of Spring Green for denying their request to keep 50+ dogs in a residential garage.

Nov 7, 2019: Spring Green Town Board Meeting

  • Town Board Supervisor Dave Radel, who had previously voted to recommend denial of the growing facility conditional use permit, announces that he has been accused of open records violations and therefore, the proposed ordinance is not on the agenda until this matter is resolved by the town lawyer.  Residents voice objections to the delay and concerns over the presumably false accusations.

Oct 18, 2019: Sauk County Lawsuit

  • After the Sauk County legislative bodies denied our appeals, we moved our objections into the court system with a lawsuit against the Sauk County Land Resources and Environment Committee.  The court will be deciding whether anyone is aggrieved by the LREC decision to approve the Conditional Use Permit for the large growing facility. 

Oct 8, 2019: Spring Green Village Appeal Decision

  • The Village Board of Zoning Appeals denied the appeal to keep 50+ dogs in the residential garage.  The denial of the permit for the whelping facility stands.

Oct 3, 2019: Spring Green Town Board Meeting

  • After hearing concerns from the town lawyer on our first proposed ordinance at the September board meeting, we submitted a new ordinance that would prevent anyone in the town from owning more than 25 intact adult dogs.  In addition, anyone with more than 10 intact adult dogs would be prohibited from keeping the dogs on wire mesh floors and from stacking crates, and would also be required to provide the dogs with outdoor access.  

Sept 26, 2019: Spring Green Village Appeal Decision Delayed

  • The Village Board of Zoning Appeals delayed a decision on the appeal to raise 50+ dogs in their residential garage

Sept 20, 2019: Sauk County Appeal

  • The Sauk County Board of Adjustment decided that no one is aggrieved by the approval of a research puppy mill in Spring Green, despite hard evidence showing that homes near a research puppy mill take TWICE as long to sell as homes further away.  This means our two County legislative appeals are effectively denied.

Sept 5, 2019: Spring Green Town Board Meeting

  • The Town Lawyer provided her opinion on the proposed ordinance that would ban research puppy mills, stating that the Town has police power and authority to adopt an ordinance addressing concerns related to the Town and the inhabitants of the Town, but probably not the ordinance as proposed in its current form.  

Sept 4, 2019: Spring Green Village Appeal

  • The Research Puppy Mill applicants filed an appeal to contest the village decision to deny them the ability to raise 50+ dogs in their residential garage.

August 30, 2019: Sauk County Appeal 2  

  • Dane4Dogs legal council, representing aggrieved residents, appealed the decision by the Sauk County Land Resources and Environment Department to continue issuing permits for the growing barn (e.g. sanitary permit) despite the earlier appeal that, by law, should have stopped all proceedings.

August 20, 2019: Sauk County Appeal 1  

  • Dane4Dogs legal council, representing aggrieved residents, appealed the decision by the Sauk County Land Resources and Environment Committee that approved the Conditional Use Permit for the growing barn.  All proceedings must stop once an appeal is filed.

August 14, 2019: Village of Spring Green Village Board

  • Summary: The Village Board was considering a proposed ordinance to ban research puppy mills.  Because the residents had gathered enough signatures under Wis Statute 9.20, the board could only vote to pass the ordinance or to put it in front of the voters at the next general election (they could not vote to deny the proposed ordinance).  They chose to put it in front of voters, and residents of the village of Spring Green will vote on the ordinance on April 7, 2020.
  • Business Items: Discussion and possible action regarding a petition for Direct Legislation under Wisconsin State Statues 9.20.
  • Discussion: Motion by Marcus to submit the proposed petition for
    Direct Legislation to a binding referendum at the next general election April 7, 2020. Seconded by Hauser. Voice vote. Motion carried.

August 1, 2019: Spring Green Town Board Meeting

  • Summary: Dane4Dogs proposed a town ordinance banning research puppy mills.  The ordinance was referred to legal council for review.

July 30, 2019: Sauk County Violation Letter, Operating a Kennel Without Permits.

  • Summary: On July 30, the Sauk County Land Resources and Environment staff reinspected the Spring Green research puppy mill barns and found them to be in violation of operating a kennel without permits, since they have not met all of the conditions of the Conditional Use Permit. Additionally, they documented TEN missing dogs. 

July 23, 2019: Sauk County Land Resources and Environment Committee

  • Summary: Despite multiple documented violations, a room packed with people opposed to the research puppy mill, a village board that denied the permit, and a town board that rescinded its approval, the Sauk County Land Resources and Environment Committee voted to approve a Conditional Use Permit for the Spring Green research puppy mill.  They listed 16 conditions that must be met before beginning operations.
  • Business Items: A petition to consider a conditional use permit for a Kennel operation proposed by Jill and Clinton Kane. 
  • Discussion: Motion by C. Whitsell/J. Dietz to approve the conditional use permit, with the recommended conditions by staff, with the correction to staff condition H. Motion carried, all in favor (6-0 with Krueger absent).

July 17, 2019: Village of Spring Green Plan Commission

  • Summary: The Village of Spring Green Plan Commission listened to their constituents and voted to DENY the Conditional Use Permit for the whelping facility.  
  • Business Items: Discussion and possible action on the conditional use permit for Pearl Road.
  • Discussion: Motion by Marcus, second by Hausner to deny the conditional use permit.  Aye: Marcus, Hausner, Broh, Saperstein. Nay: Prem, Lilla, Hutnik. Motion passed.

July 17, 2019: Spring Green Joint ExtraTerritorial Zoning Commission 

  • Summary: Despite a room packed with opponents to the CUP, the JEZC recommended approval of the CUP with 8 conditions.
  • Business Items: Discussion and possible action on the conditional use permit for Pearl Road.
  • Discussion: Motion by Iausly, second by Lilla to recommend approval of the request by Clinton Kane & Jill Janssen Kane for a conditional use permit for a “Commercial Kennel & Dog Boarding” on parcel #032-0658-1, S12904 Pearl Road, Town of Spring Green with 8 conditions.  Motion passed.

July 11, 2019: Spring Green Special Town Board Meeting

  • Summary: The Spring Green Town Board listened to a packed room of concerned residents and voted to rescind prior recommendation to approve the permit.  
  • Business Items: Discussion/possible action to reconsider decision to recommend approval of a conditional use permit for a dog kennel on Big Hollow Road
  • Discussion: Motion from Radel to rescind prior recommendation to approve the permit, seconded by Carmody.  Motion passed.

July 11, 2019: Sauk County Violation Letter, Operating a Kennel Without Permits.

  • Summary: On July 11, the Sauk County Land Resources and Environment staff inspected the Spring Green research puppy mill barns and found them to be in violation of operating a kennel without permits.  They documented 66 dogs on site, per Mr. Kane – 8 breeding females, 1 breeding male, 57 puppies from various litters. 

July 10, 2019: Spring Green Village Board Meeting

  • Business Items: Discussion and possible action regarding request from citizens for amendment of Village of Spring Green Code of Ordinance 278-4 Public nuisances offending morals and decency to include language regarding Research Dogs/Cats.
  • Discussion: Ordinance was referred to legal council for review.

July 2, 2019: Spring Green Town Board Meeting

  • Business Items: Discussion/possible action on a variance request for a required vegetative buffer for a kennel on Big Hollow Road by Clinton and Jill Kane or representative
  • Discussion: Motion from Lins to approve the variance.  Motion was not seconded.  Motion from Lins to deny the variance.  Motion was not seconded.  Motion from Carmody to convene a special Town Board meeting to reconsider prior decision to recommend approval of the conditional use permit.  Seconded by Radel.  Motion passed.

June 19, 2019: Spring Green Joint Extraterritorial Zoning Commission
Attendees: not available

  • Business Items: Variance: Discuss with Clint Kane and Jill Janssen Kane, or representative, on a variance from a required vegetative buffer for a kennel on Big Hollow Rd. Discussion/Citizen Input/Possible Action.
  • Discussion: Due to outrage from citizens about limited notification and deception on what the intent was for this kennel, topic has been tabled until July 17th. Clint Kane and Jill Janssen Kane were asked to prepare a noise mitigation strategy that will be discussed at the meeting on July 17.

June 18, 2019: Spring Green Planning Commission
Attendees: Notes not posted

  • Business Items: Variance: Discuss with Clint Kane and Jill Janssen Kane, or representative, on a variance from a required vegetative buffer for a kennel on Big Hollow Rd. Discussion/Citizen Input/Possible Action. Both properties are zoned for Agriculture use.
  • Discussion: Not posted but members of the board said the motion was carried.

May 14, 2019: Spring Green Planning Commission
Attendees: Jill Janssen Kane, Clint Kane, Mike Curran, and Jim Schmitt

  • Business Items: CUP: Application by Clint Kane and Jill Janssen Kane for a Conditional Use Permit for the establishment of a kennel in an agriculture building on Big Hollow Rd. Discussion/Citizen Input/Possible Action.
  • Discussion: CUP: Application by Clint Kane and Jill Janssen Kane for a Conditional Use Permit for the establishment of a kennel in an agriculture building on Big Hollow Rd. Mike Curran briefed the situation and walked the commission through the application he had submitted to the county. The facility will follow strict USDA regulation and the dog will not have an outside facility. Clint Kane and Jill Janssen Kane will be the only employees for the facility. Iausly discussed similar permits pointing out that this application meets town ordinances and that the current zoning allows this use. Motion recommending for approval by the Town Board of this conditional use permit by Iausly, seconded by Carmody. Motion carried.