University of Wisconsin–Madison: Administration Investigates Student Group for Fliers Protesting Dog Breeder

On April 13, 2026, members of the student group Animal Advocacy at the University of Wisconsin-Madison posted a flyer on campus headlined “Help Save 2,000 Beagles” and provided a QR code. The code linked to information about animal welfare concerns at a Wisconsin breeder of dogs for experimentation, a prior “open rescue” attempt at the facility, and suggested ways students could get involved, including by joining the student group, signing a petition, donating, sharing information on social media, and contacting lawmakers. 

On April 20, administrators warned Animal Advocacy that the fliers appeared to be “soliciting or encouraging individuals to participate in criminal activity” because the linked materials referenced the unlawful “open rescue” attempt, and told them about three weeks later that they were officially being investigated for conduct violations. FIRE wrote to UW-Madison on June 25, explaining that the First Amendment protects this kind of political speech, that the fliers did not direct students to break the law, and that the speech did not amount to punishable incitement. FIRE urged UW-Madison to end its investigation and refrain from imposing any sanctions on Animal Advocacy for its protected expression.