Hundreds of activists face pepper spray in violent clash with deputies at Wisconsin beagle research facility

Hundreds of animal welfare activists converged Saturday on a Wisconsin beagle breeding and research facility, forcing local law enforcement – prepared for the planned event – to use tear gas, pepper balls and rubber bullets "to keep and maintain peace in the community."

"It was clear from the beginning that this was not going to be a peaceful protest," Dane Country Sheriff Kalvin Barrett wrote in a statement shared on Facebook.

"The DCSO response to the active break-in attempts by hundreds of protesters was appropriate and proportionate to the behaviors observed. With the assistance of our partner agencies, we were able to maintain order without anyone being seriously injured."