In Dane County, Wisconsin, 51 people connected to a rescue of beagles from Ridglan Farms are now facing felony charges, according to a recent letter published in The Cap Times. Ridglan Farms, the dog-breeding facility at the center of the case, did not face criminal charges. The same letter reports that the facility reached a deal to shut down instead.

That gap raises a basic question of fairness. People who acted to help dogs could carry felony records for the rest of their lives, while the business at the heart of the case avoided a criminal case entirely.

The cost matters too. One defense attorney has estimated that prosecuting all 51 people could cost taxpayers about $5 million, according to the letter. Dane County is already working with a tight budget, and money spent on this prosecution is money that can’t go toward other public safety needs.

The Dane County District Attorney’s Office decides who gets charged and with what. The Dane County Board’s Public Protection and Judiciary Committee, which oversees the DA’s office, can ask for a full cost estimate and a public explanation of how these charging decisions were made.

The District Attorney should reconsider the felony charges against the rescuers and explain to the public why the people who helped the dogs face tougher consequences than the facility itself. The committee should request and share the office’s own estimate of what this prosecution will cost.

Sign the petition to call for equal accountability in the Ridglan case, before 51 people are left with felony records.