The former Baywatch star Alexandra Paul was arrested on Sunday. She’s been hit with major trespassing charges after removing 31 beagles from the Ridglan Farms breeding facility in Wisconsin.
Paul Arrested
The Dane County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) told People Magazine that a group of 50-60 protesters allegedly trespassed the Ridglan Farms property in Blue Mounds at around 8:30am. Paul was one of 21 protesters who were arrested at the scene.
Ridglan Farms is known for being one of only two large dog breeders in the United States that offer experimentation for scientific research. The facility has long refuted claims of animal mistreatment. Indeed, Ridglan Farms claims to “raise high quality and healthy animals for scientific and medical discovery.”
“All of the animals that were taken have been recovered. And none of the animals have been injured,” officials told The Mirror.
“The Dane County Sheriff’s Office understands how deeply people feel for the beagles at Ridglan Farms. And we respect their right to express that passion through peaceful protests,” added Sheriff Kalvin Barrett.
“Our role is to keep everyone safe and to respond when unlawful activity takes place,” he continued. “We encourage anyone with concerns about animal welfare or research practices to engage through lawful and constructive avenues.”
Sheriff Barrett concluded by saying that his office “remains committed to maintaining public safety, promoting peaceful dialogue, and ensuring that all parties can exercise their rights within the bounds of the law.”
Paul’s History
This comes three years after Paul, 62, was charged with misdemeanor theft. Indeed, that arrest came after she allegedly took two chickens from a Foster Farms truck in September of 2021. She later testified in Merced County in March of 2023 and was subsequently found not guilty.
Paul has long been open about her passion for animal rights.
“I became a vegetarian when I was 14, in 1977,” Paul told PETA in 2011. “I had read Frances Moore Lappé’s book Diet for a Small Planet, and I decided not to eat meat or fish because of the cruelty aspect and the environmental effects of eating high on the food chain.”
“A year later, I read Peter Singer’s Animal Liberation, did a report on it for English class, and started wearing a button at school, which read, ‘Lab Animals Never Have a Nice Day,'” she continued. “When I was 26, in 1990, I stopped wearing leather, wool, or silk and put it in all my acting contracts that I was not wearing fur nor using any makeup tested on animals.”
According to her IMDB page, Paul has been arrested over 16 times for civil disobedience. Back in 2003, she spent 5 1/2 days in a Los Angeles jail after she was arrested twice for protesting the Iraq War.
Paul is best known for portraying the character Lt. Stephanie Holden on the hit television series Baywatch. She starred in the series for five seasons from 1992 until 1997. She has a total of 107 film and television credits to her name.
At the time of this writing, Paul has yet to publicly speak out about her latest arrest. Only time will tell how this one turns out for her.