Today we're joined by the incredible Jay Yontz, co-founder of Ziggy’s Refuge animal sanctuary, to discuss vegan activism through animal sanctuaries. Jay shares how meeting his wife Kristen and her pet pig, Ziggy, in St. John led him toward veganism, traveling the U.S. in an RV with “Ziggy the Traveling Piggy,” and founding Ziggy’s Refuge Farm Sanctuary in 2016. Jay explains their current work caring for nearly 100 residents, specializing in disabled animals with a prosthetics lab, wheelchairs, and advanced veterinary care like stem-cell therapy! Our conversation emphasizes the importance of veterinary care, adoption, and keeping bonded families together. The residents at Ziggy's Refuge are ambassadors for the vegan movement and we hope you enjoy learning more about their stories and are inspired to vegan or to support animals like them by volunteering!

Please support Ziggy's here: https://www.patreon.com/ziggysrefuge

Learn more about Ziggy's Refuge here: https://www.ziggysrefuge.org/

We're so excited for you to listen to this amazing episode and we'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments! Thank you for following along and listening to the Vegan Squad Pod! Please leave a review, share this episode with a friend, and subscribe!

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Today, vegan activist Tiffany recounts her experience taking part in the world’s largest open rescue at Ridglan Farms - a coordinated effort to save beagles from a facility with documented violations. She describes the severe cruelty the dogs endure, including confinement in small cages and invasive procedures such as cherry eye surgery and vocal cord cutting performed without anesthesia. Tiffany also details the intense response faced by activists during the rescue, including hours of tear gas and pepper spray, the use of rubber bullets, as well as arrests and injuries.

Please keep pressure on officials and continue outreach to secure the dogs’ release before July 1.

HOW TO DEMAND THE RIDGLAN DOGS BE RELEASED:

• Call WI AG Josh Kaul at (608) 266-1221 → Dial 4
• Say: “Investigate Ridglan Farms and release the beagles into safe homes.”

Form: joshkaul.org/contact-us

Email: County_Board_Recipients@danecounty.gov

Call. Submit. Share.

To sign the petition & donate to the cause, visit: savethedogs.io

Stay connected with us on Instagram!

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Today, Ella Magers and Jessica Nieves share their experience on the front lines of the recent Ridgland Farms Beagle rescue effort. They describe the illegal cruelty toward 2,000 beagles bred and sold for research, including claims of non-veterinary procedures, vocal cord cutting without anesthesia, and escalating on-site experimentation tied to profit. Ella and Jess describe their extensive nonviolent direct-action training, only to be met with tear gas, pepper spray, rubber bullets, and injuries, which helped propel the story into national attention. Please keep pressure on officials and continue outreach to secure the dogs’ release before July 1.

HOW TO DEMAND THE RIDGLAN DOGS BE RELEASED:

• Call WI AG Josh Kaul at (608) 266-1221 → Dial 4
• Say: “Investigate Ridglan Farms and release the beagles into safe homes.”

Form: joshkaul.org/contact-us

Email: County_Board_Recipients@danecounty.gov

Call. Submit. Share.

To sign the petition & donate to the cause, visit: savethedogs.io

Stay connected with us on Instagram!

🌱 https://www.instagram.com/vegansquadcoaching

🌱 https://www.instagram.com/jessfortheanimals

🌱 https://www.instagram.com/sexyfitvegan

🌱 https://www.instagram.com/thebodybuildingvegan

🌱 https://www.instagram.com/yourveganmentor1/

Subscribe to our YouTube!

🌱 Find LIVE recordings of our episodes!

Book a free consult call to unlock your vegan potential with the support of an expert Vegan Squad Coach!

👉 https://vegansquadcoaching.com/apply

Check out our free resources!

👉 https://vegansquadcoaching.com/resources