‘Baywatch’ Actress Arrested

Baywatch actress Alexandra Paul was one of several animal rights activists arrested for alleged trespassing during a break-in at a Wisconsin beagle breeding facility.

The 62-year-old actress, who played Stephanie Holden for five seasons of the iconic beach rescue drama, was one of approximately 20 people to be arrested on March 15 in Blue Mounds, Wisc., after a group of 50-60 protestors allegedly trespassed on Ridglan Farms property, as per the Dane County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO).

According to the DSCO, “some activists broke into the facility and began removing numerous dogs” from the facility in protest of Ridglan Farms’ practice of breeding dogs for biomedical research.

In October 2025, the La Crosse County District Attorney and Ridglan Farms agreed that as of July 1, 2026, the facility would no longer operate under its Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection license and would no longer sell dogs purposefully bred for such research, as per WKOW 27.

In a March 25 update on the case, the DSCO emphasized that “Ridglan is legally permitted to sell its remaining dogs” until July 1, and pointed out that state animal cruelty charges do not apply to “teaching, research, or experimentation conducted pursuant to a protocol or procedure approved by an educational or research institution.”

At the time of the protest, DCSO Sheriff Kalvin Barrett said in a statement that the agency “understands how deeply people feel for the beagles at Ridglan Farms, and we respect their right to express that passion through peaceful protests.”

“Our role is to keep everyone safe and to respond when unlawful activity takes place. We encourage anyone with concerns about animal welfare or research practices to engage through lawful and constructive avenues,” he continued. “The Sheriff’s 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.”

Following Paul’s arrest, she wrote on Instagram that she was “proud to have been part of this rescue of beagles from Ridglan Farms,” and urged people to reach out to the Dane County District Attorney’s Office to “tell him to release the 8 beagles taken from rescuers arms and vans during our rescue” and to “release the 2200 dogs that remain in that hellhole Ridglan Farms,” adding, “No one in power would help the dogs, so we did. Now you can too.”

Paul’s March arrest comes three years after she was charged with misdemeanor theft for allegedly taking two chickens from a Foster Farms truck in September 2021, as per the Los Angeles Times, for which she was ultimately found not guilty in March 2023.