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The city of Ridgeland in Wisconsin intends to hold the "Free Chicken Fly" and the "Pig Chase" at the town's 36th Annual Pioneer Day on Saturday, February 17. At 10:30 a.m. live chickens will begin to be tossed up into the air from the roof of the Drunk'n Monkey Bar and Hotel into the boisterous crowd below. At noon, the senselessly cruel "Pig Chase" will ensue. We can't let this event take place!

In defiance of nearly a hundred thousand pleas to end the cruel spectacle, Dunn County Sheriff Dennis Smith has announced that he has no problem with the events and that allegedly eight years ago a Madison "animal rights group" attended the events and declared them to be cruelty free. We have no idea how this could be remotely possible.

In Defense of Animals is joining Wisconsin based Alliance for Animals and United Poultry Concerns in their combined campaign to end this mindless and speciesist "entertainment" at this and all like festivals. Such events could easily be replaced with activities that engage youth and their families in challenging and fun events such as tug of war, sack races, and any number of winter sports. Tossing frightened chickens off roofs into crowds of reveling humans below and sponsoring a "Pig Chase" with varied age groups and a women's only chase in the snow teach nothing but disrespect for animals and indifference to their fear and potential suffering.

Watch videos from the 2017 festival here and here.

What YOU Can Do

Please join us in voicing your distain for Ridgeland, Wisconsin's cruelly thoughtless choice of festival activities. Sheriff Denis Dunn has given his approval of these activities and we ask that you make calls to him and other officials and sign our letter telling him he would best serve his community by standing as an example for youth to be kind.

1) Make a few calls.

Dennis Smith
Dunn County Sheriff
(715) 232-1564

Marshall Multhouf
Chief Deputy Sheriff
(715) 231-2904

Officer Adam Zukowski
(715) 232-1564