Fur industry reward for ALF capture plummets by 95%
As fur farm raids surge, the Fur Commission’s reward for the ALF drops from $100,000 to $5,000.
Update: Hours after this was posted, the Fur Commission announced the reward had been raised. The current reward is still nowhere in range of the $100,000 amount of just five years ago.
The Fur Commission’s announcement of their new bounty on fur farm raiders fell a little flat this week with the punchline: The reward is only $5,000.
In the 1990s, when myself and many others were targeting fur farms, the price on our heads was $100,000. This amount was put up by fur farmers and related companies nationwide, and was a hefty reward for any crime, especially one that amounted to little more than cut fences and opened cages. The reward terms stated that anyone who provided information that led to the arrest of a person involved in a mink or fox release would be paid $100,000.
Headline from 2008
The $100,000 reward remained as late as 2008. Yet as fur farm rescues became less and less frequent, the reward seemed to vanish – or at least wasn’t publicized.
This week, the Fur Commission announced their “ALF bounty” was back, with a minor adjustment: The amount has plummeted by 95%. It now stands at a mere $5,000.
Headline from 2013
While the Fur Commission USA is stating publicly their new priority is “farm security,” this new bounty makes quite the opposite statement – and does so in a very public way. One would think that the group tasked with protecting its members would incentivize informants with something a little more substantial.
One would also think that as raids surged, such a reward would increase, not go down by 95%. What’s the message here?
Good news for aspiring informants: You can now permanently trade in your dignity for something that will buy you a 10-year old used car.
