PA Mink Farm Attack
Fur Commission USA Announces Increased Reward in Mink Farm Attack - A Call for Justice and Protection of Rural Livelihoods
In response to the recent attack on a mink farm in Sunbury, Pennsylvania, the Fur Commission USA, in partnership with industry allies, is announcing a significant increase in the reward for information leading to the arrest of the radical animal activists responsible. The reward, initially offered by the Fur Commission at $5,000, has now been increased to $16,000. On top of this, Richard H. Stahl Sons Inc. has offered a $5,000 reward, complemented by a $1,000 contribution from The Unified Sportsmen of Pennsylvania, bringing the total reward to $22,000.
Representative Abby Major, R-Armstrong, echoes our sentiment and is pushing for stiffer penalties against animal activists who release farmed mink into the wild. These animal extremists are terrorists, plain and simple. As defined by the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), any person who engages in certain conduct for the purpose of damaging or interfering with the operations of an animal enterprise is a terrorist in the eyes of the law. We thank local and federal law enforcement for their continued help in finding those who perpetrate these heinous crimes.
Ironically, while these animal rights terrorists justify their crimes by claiming to care for animals, their actions clearly disregard the very welfare of the mink they release, guaranteeing them a cruel and horrific death. Releasing animals raised in human care who have minimal survival skills into the wild demonstrates ignorance and a wanton disregard for their lives, leading to starvation, predation and, in many cases, being killed by cars.
Farmed mink have been raised in captivity for more than 100 generations and, like other farm animals, they are not prepared to survive in the wild. Many will die of starvation or dehydration unless rescued quickly. And because they associate the sound of motors with the farmer’s feeding cart, mink that do leave the barn often stray onto the road and are hit by cars.
In addition, when farms are attacked by these extremists in what amounts to violent publicity stunts, the animals, the farmer owners, the community, and surrounding ecosystems suffer. Most mink are raised on family farms; having strangers break into their property in the middle of the night, masked and dressed in black, destroying property and harming the animals that farmers have worked so hard to raise and care for is devastating for the entire family.
Fur Commission USA works hard to ensure that all of our farmers adhere to strict guidelines for animal welfare, developed in conjunction with experts in animal husbandry, veterinary science, and welfare. These guidelines ensure nutrition, housing, biosecurity, and humane practices are at the forefront of their operations. Moreover, these farms contribute significantly to the local economy, creating jobs and repurposing animal byproducts that would otherwise go to waste.
The Fur Commission USA stands firm in its commitment to protecting these family farms against unlawful and harmful actions. We urge the community to come together in support of these rural families, ensuring their right to safely and peacefully conduct their business.