New Book: ALF – Complete Diary Of Actions

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Every ALF raid, in one place: New 130 page book chronicling over 40 years of the Animal Liberation Front.

Just back from the printer: The first assembled timeline of the Animal Liberation Front’s 40+ year history – from broken windows to lab raids.

In 2009, I released the first timeline of the ALF’s (then-) 30 year history. After selling over 1,000 copies, the book went out of print in 2012.

Now, 10 years later, I gave the “A.L.F. Diary Of Actions” a thorough update and all new layout, bringing it up to date for 2022. It is now available in two formats: Free PDF download, or paperback.

Free PDF Download

Enter your email address in the sidebar (right side of the page) and get the PDF emailed to you instantly.

Paperback

Amazon ($6.95 + free shipping)

Bookshop.org (support local bookstores)

30+ other bookselling sites

Internationally (UK, Spain, Canada, more)

ALF: Diary Of Actions (preview)

From the introduction:

“A.L.F.: Complete Diary of Actions is the first attempt at compiling the complete history of recorded A.L.F. actions—from lab raids to paint bombs—in one collection. This is the unwritten history of an underground movement that rises to the call of non-human animals, rescuing them through direct or indirect means under the cover of darkness. With this collection, we wish to offer historians and activists the first attempt at a comprehensive resume of the U.S.’s most prolific underground movement, and the last hope for thousands of animals each year.

The information compiled here was pooled from numerous sources. Every effort was made to verify the accuracy of the data, and ensure the thoroughness of this timeline’s scope. It can be speculated that reported actions represent but only a portion of all A.L.F. (and other) activity. This is not presented as an all-inclusive list. Instead, it attempts to collect all actions reported to the greater movement, and many which were less publicized.

In bringing this information together in one place, some points become evident. The sheer prolificness of underground activists in this 30-year old movement is immense, with over 1,500 recorded actions in 40+ years. For all this activity, fewer than 40 activists have been arrested. Of those, only a small handful have served any substantial amount of prison time. The cost/benefit calculation is clear: for the animal liberation movement, the A.L.F. represents a net gain.

The actions here are diverse, in both tactics and impact. Look closely at this timeline, and it will tell a story. Direct action trends corresponding to above-ground campaigns. Cells building their skill level, evolving their tactics, and disbanding for reasons unknown. We see expertly coordinated lab raids of the 1980s fading to the surge of small-scale property damage of the mid-1990s, the further surge of fur farm raids, the return of the lab raid, and the gradual fading of lower-impact retail-level actions into the less numerous, yet higher-impact actions in the era of this timeline’s end.

The greatest power of the Animal Liberation Front perhaps has yet to be realized. While U.S. history has not yet shown us a focused direct action campaign that has collapsed an entire industry and rid it from this earth forever, no movement should scale it’s hope to the limits of recorded history, but instead to the boundless potential of the unwritten future.

Every activist who attended an anti-fur demo this year pairing off and visiting a fur farm would guarantee there were no fur stores to protest next year. Every person who dined at a vegetarian restaurant today pairing off and visiting a slaughterhouse tonight would ensure every restaurant was vegetarian tomorrow. And every person who refused an animal tested product today striking a high-impact blow against animal experimentation tonight would guarantee a more hopeful future for all of vivisection’s victims.

This is the story of those who make animal liberation a reality.

For Liberation
Peter Young”

New Book: “The A.L.F. Strikes Again” – ALF writing collection

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“The A.L.F. Strikes Again : Collected Writings Of The Animal Liberation Front In North America” – nearly everything written by the Animal Liberation Front, in one place.

Twelve years ago I started a project  with one goal: to collect every piece of writing from the North American Animal Liberation Front into one massive book.

Over a decade in the making, the book is now live.

“The A.L.F. Strikes Again: The Collected Writings Of The Animal Liberation Front In North America” was compiled to serve as the definitive historical record of the Animal Liberation Front.

Coming in at 700+ pages, the book is available now at these links:

1. Amazon.com (cheapest)
2. Bookshop.org (support local stores)
3. European orders
4. Many other sites + international

Details

• Title: “The A.L.F. Strikes Again: Collected Writings Of The Animal Liberation Front In North America”
• Pages: 704
• ISBN: ‎ 9781732709690
• Price: $14.95 on Amazon, more elsewhere (about 30 cents above cost).

Front & back cover:

Table of Contents

Animal Liberation Front Strikes Again: Table of Contents by Peter_Daniel_Young on Scribd

Part One: How It Was Done – The A.L.F. gives step-by-step accounts of some of their most spectacular animal liberations, including:

• The University Of Arizona (1,200 animals rescued, 1989)
• University of California – Harbor (12 dogs rescued, 1983)
• College Of Notre Dame (250 mice rescued, 2000)
• …and a dozen more

Part Two: Interviews – Rare tell-all interviews with the Animal Liberation Front, including activists behind raids such as:

• The University of Pennsylvania (labs broken into and vivisection footage removed, 1984)
• Texas Tech University (Five cats rescued, 1989)
• University of Alberta (29 cats rescued, 1992)
• …and ten more.

Part Three: Essays – From anonymous bulletins for the A.L.F. to communicate between cells, to overt calls to action, to prison writings – it’s all here. Among them:

• “A.L.F. Bulletin To All Fur Farm Raiders” (message from an A.L.F. cell on optimizing fur farm liberations)
• “Life Underground” (Anonymous A.L.F. member on the necessity of going underground for animal liberation)
• “Fire Is A Good Tool” (Activist behind rescue of 46 dogs from a California lab on regrets over not burning the lab down)
• …and over 15 more.

Part Four: Communiques – Over 150 anonymous statements released after A.L.F. actions, among them:

• University Of Oregon (264 animals rescued, 1986)
• University Of Minnesota (116 animals rescued, 1999)
• United Feeds (fur farm feed supplier burned down, 1999)
• …and over 150 more.

Part Five: How To Guides – Literal manuals on carrying out Animal Liberation Front (A.L.F.) actions – large to small, including:

• An Animal Liberation Primer (introductory manual to basic sabotage techniques)
• How To Sink Whalers (how to sink ships that kill animals)
• The Final Nail (step-by-step guides to raiding fur farms)
• …and more.

Download a sample excerpt

From Section One: “How It Was Done – Raiding Loma Linda University (+more)”

Download here (PDF)

From the intro:

“The largest-ever collection of writings from the Animal Liberation Front

At over 700 pages, this is the definitive look inside the Animal Liberation Front (A.L.F.).

The  A.L.F. Strikes Again is the largest-ever collection of writing from members of the Animal Liberation Front (the “radical fringe of the animal rights movement”), tying together over 40 years of documents and writings with one goal: A complete collection of everything written by the A.L.F. in North America.

The Animal Liberation Front (A.L.F.) intervenes where mainstream animal rights groups have failed. The A.L.F. breaks into buildings, rescues animals, and destroys property of animal abusers. They work outside the law, and, unless caught, their identities are never known.

With few blindspots, this book compiles nearly everything written by the North American A.L.F. – Settling the score on what the A.L.F. is, what they believe, and exactly how they do what they do.

Forty years into the A.L.F.’s history in North America, despite over 1,000 actions, being the subject of multiple congressional hearings, and surviving the label of “America’s number one domestic terrorist threat”—their history has been largely untold.

Academics, journalists, internal opposition and external opposition—many have taken small shots at the full story. Among it all, the A.L.F.’s voice in its own history is the one pushed furthest to the back. In being the saviors of the voiceless, one also becomes the voiceless.

In this collection, the A.L.F.’s voice is restored.

Regarded by many as heroes today, yet regarded by nearly all as heroes tomorrow—this book will play a role in history vindicating the Animal Liberation Front.”

Available now:

1. Amazon.com (cheapest)
2. Powells.com
3. Books A Million
4. Half Price Books
5. Many other sites

I’ll end with the source of the cover image: This article from an Arizona newspaper after the ALF liberated 1,200 animals from the University of Arizona labs in 1989:

PS: Wholesale copies are available in quantities of five or more, sold at-cost (literally the exact cost to print and ship). Email for wholesale rates.

30 foxes released by the Animal Liberation Front in Iowa

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An Iowa fur farm is raided in first fur farm raid of the year.

In a communique received by Bite Back, the Animal Liberation Front took credit for releasing 30 foxes from the fur farm owned by Robert Roman in Anamosa, Iowa on September 25th, 2014.

According to the communique, fencing on the east and west side were cut away, and cages opened, allowing 30 foxes to escape.

Fur farmer detects raid at 2am

According the fur farmer Robert Roman, he detected the break-in at 2am when his dogs began barking.

 “Their activities were disrupted,” he said. “I think they fled.”

Media continues to quote fur farmers on animals’ likelihood of survival

In a message aimed at the media to head off erroneous claims of released animals dying due to lack of survival skills, the Animal Liberation Front gave them these words:

“We encourage the media to maintain their professional integrity by seeking comment from actual wildlife biologists about the survivability of farm-raised fox, not fur farmers or their trade groups.”

However, the media continued to solicit quotes from fur farmers on this subject, and not those with qualified opinions.

Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act may not be applicable

According to an Iowa FBI agent, the damages may not have exceeded $10,000, which, according to the agent, is the threshold for an AETA prosecution. As such, this may not be a case prosecuted by the Department of Justice, and if those responsible are caught, the case may be prosecuted locally-

” The law that enables FBI involvement in the crime requires at least a $10,000 loss that has not yet been established in this case, she said.”

First fur farm raid of the year

After ten releases of fur farm animals in 2013, this is the first fur farm liberation of 2014.

All animals recaptured, say police

According to police and the fur farmer, only two animals actually left their pens, and both were recaptured. There are reportedly 300 foxes held captive at the fur farm.

An aerial view of the Rob Roman fox farm.

The communique

The full ALF communique reads, in full:

“The Animal Liberation Front is taking responsibility for the release of 30 foxes from a fur farm in Anamosa, Iowa in the late-evening of Thursday, September 25th 2014. 10 years after the 2004 raid of the University of Iowa, the ALF has returned to east-central Iowa.

The farm targeted was:

Robert Roman
23778 Fairview Road
Anamosa, IA 52205

The majority of fencing on the farm’s east and west sides were stripped away. The fencing on the north was enveloped in heavy brush and unlikely to be a point of passage, while the south abutted a shed retrofitted with living quarters, with lights on and a car outside, indicating we were not alone.

An advantage of releasing foxes over mink is that foxes are silent. As a result, the proximity of fox pens to a farmer’s house is irrelevant, as we have shown.

Future visitors to fox farms should be aware that foxes are extremely timid. Unlike mink they should be encouraged to exit their cages as a vital ingredient of any fox rescue.

A point worth repeating: This entire action required $40 in gas, $20 in tools, and only a few hours to execute.

The past two years has seen a tenfold increase in the number of known fox farm addresses. The animal liberation movement is now in an unprecedented position to wipe out fox farming in the United States. Fox farms represent the softest of targets for these reasons:

• Fox farms are small, with animal numbers usually in the dozens.
• Foxes are silent (mentioned above).
• Foxes are rarely a primary income source for farmers, who can be more easily persuaded to discontinue fox farming.
• There are under 150 fox farms known to exist.

Foxes are genetically wild. There is a large and thriving wild fox population in Iowa. We encourage the media to maintain their professional integrity by seeking comment from actual wildlife biologists about the survivability of farm-raised fox, not fur farmers or their trade groups.

To be clear, our mission extends far beyond fur. We aim to eradicate all animal-exploitation industries – meat, dairy, egg, animal research, and beyond. We encourage the public to adopt a vegan diet first; raid farms second.

A final message to activists: The ALF doesn’t need your passive support. We need your active participation.

Animal Liberation Front

Dedicated to accused mink rescuers currently under federal indictment in the United States, and activists making history in Eastern Europe.”

“I Used to Break into Laboratories to Free Animals”

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---

I began to feel like a bloated water balloon, still affixed to a running tap: bursting was inevitable, and I was already leaking…

One day shortly thereafter I was taking my son and our dog Morgan for a walk to the park. Morgan’s eyes are starting to glaze over with age, and it’s only in a vast open field at the rear of the park that I let her off her leash. In the field she does not have any risk of running into anything and every time I unhook her leash, she dashes off, running as fast as she can, usually in a giant figure eight pattern. On this day she did the same but unexpected to me, in that very moment, seeing her run free and unhinged my balloon popped. I found myself crying and adrift in a whirlwind of emotions.

I thought to myself of just how many days I spent talking about negative things (state repression, court cases) or reciting bewildering and often disheartening statistics about human consumption of animals, and just how few days I spent talking about freedom, about liberation, and about this beautiful and deeply spiritual idea of animals as individuals.

I wanted to take this opportunity to reflect on some of these individuals.

---

Renee

Renee was a rhesus macaque monkey. Renee had spent 11 years in confinement, her health was ailing, and her future uncertain. She was never experimented upon, but rather was listlessly awaiting experiments at another facility. I sat for two hours in a thunderstorm before jumping the gates to the compound where she was held and bringing her to sanctuary.
Every year I think about Renee. I’ll never forget how Renee, despite being in an animal carrier, still managed to tear up the back seat of my mother’s car. I’ll never forget about how her prolonged poor health rendered her barren, and I’ll never forget about how her inherent desire to be a mother made her the perfect guardian for an infant monkey who ended up at her sanctuary a year later. I’ll never forget this selflessness in Renee. Renee gave something priceless to that little monkey and moreover, years later she would give me something priceless.

---

Alice

Alice was born at a breeder for vivisection and lived for six months in a holding pen for reserve research animals, en route to testing facilities. I opened Alice’s pen and carried her to safety. I had to run over a mile and a half with Alice before reaching our exit vehicle and while I was running, Alice threw up on me. Before getting in the car with Alice I put her down. I saw her sway and then land on her side. She was motionless for nearly a minute. In this moment of desperately trying to understand what was happening to Alice my comrades and I began to yell at each other. We fumbled to find her pulse; we thought the worst and my friend to my right began to cry. Then, almost as fast as she fell down, she sprang back up, wagged her tail and licked me in the face. We would later learn that Alice had an ailment that impacted her equilibrium, but would ultimately live a long, happy and healthy life.
This was the first time in Alice’s life she felt anything other than concrete under her feet. It was overwhelming for both her and us, because in that moment we both received something very special.

---

Oscar

Oscar was also born into a facility that bred waterfowl for vivisection. Oscar would have but six months before he would end up on a necropsy table, unless someone interceded. It only made sense to intercede.
In our months of advance recognizance, we took notice of Oscar. He had a limp, one leg was shorter than the other, and he was only partially covered with his plumage. He was at a disadvantage from the peers with which he shared his installation, yet we’d watch as every night he and a dozen others would pile together to keep warm. On the night when we freed Oscar from his confines, he rode on a truck with hundreds of those peers.
Our trip was nerve-racking. We hoped to reach the sanctuary by sunrise. The temperature outside was in the 50s but the back of the truck was 80 degrees and climbing. Every stop we made to open the back of the truck to allow cool air in was another risk of being caught and every moment above 80 degrees was another risk to the safety of the birds inside. When we arrived, the walls of the truck were wet with condensed sweat.
We met the sanctuary owner. The man was a saint, and I felt guilty that he actually thought my name was Holden Caulfield. He led us to where we could unload our friends, an adapted Quonset Hut reminiscent of a miniature airplane hanger with a greenhouse top and an exit to an adjacent field and pond.
Oscar’s friends, in a brilliant chorus of noise and motion, ran en masse toward the pond and dove in. It was so brilliant, it almost felt choreographed. But I quickly became concerned and asked the sanctuary owner if the transition from a hot truck to the cold waters of a Pacific Northwest pond were dangerous. He acknowledged these concerns and suggested we wade out into the pond and begin clapping our hands to wrangle our friends back in. Slowly, they made their way from the pond back to the warmth of the hanger, shaking the water off in what looked like celebratory dancing, but then we saw Oscar…

Oscar was stumbling on himself and his breathing was erratic. He was not shaking the water off.

We dried Oscar with towels and moved him to an adjacent warm space by himself. We wanted him to feel safe; we wanted him to feel loved; we wanted him to recover from whatever shock he was experiencing, but he did not. Oscar died that afternoon.

I have never been able to forgive my recklessness of that day. But I also know I will never be able to capture in words the awe of seeing Oscar and his friends celebrate their first day of freedom. Oscar and each of his friends gave me lasting inspiration and insight into the very act of being alive and free.

After raid, Montana fur farmer tells activists: “Jesus loves you”

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The Richwine family declines comment on impact of raid, tells activists God is on their side.

In a Montana newspaper article this week, Kathy Richwine of Fraser Fur Farm told activists that Jesus loves them.

Anonymous activists took credit for entering the fur farm overnight on March 7th, and destroying breeding records. Fraser Fur Farm is believed to be the largest bobcat farm in the country.

Destroying breeding records works: A tacit admission

More usefully, she refused to confirm (or deny) that the raid had a significant impact on the farm.

From the Valley Journal:

Owner Kathy Richwine was able to confirm the attack, but would not confirm the significance of the destroyed records for fear of giving possible future attackers fuel for the cause.

Quite obviously, the only response that would “fuel” future actions would be one that confirmed what is already known: Loss of breeding records can be devastating to a fur farm.

Farmer cites biblical basis for animal abuse

When asked to justify to their captive bobcat operation, Kathy Richwine said:

…her family and the ecoterrorists have completely different ideas about the natural order of the world. Her world view is Biblically established, with humans having dominion over the earth and its creatures.

Oddly, she seems to believe God is on the saboteur’s side, and offered them this comforting message:

“I’d tell them that Jesus loves you.”

Fur farmers put ALF wanted posters in vegan restaurants

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Fur farmers distribute new “Wanted” poster to convenience stores, coffee shops, more.

The fur industry’s hunt for the Animal Liberation Front just got weirder.

After the Fur Commission issued bulletins telling fur farmers to call the police if their address is on the internet, and to be on alert for the release of the new Earth Crisis album, they may have topped themselves with their latest move: A hilarious Animal Liberation Front “Wanted” poster.

Fur farmers have been sent this poster and encouraged to distribute it near their farms, hoping it will lead to the capture of the Animal Liberation Front. The Fur Commission has instructed farmers to:

“..post [the wanted poster] to bulletin boards in your area.  All-night convenience stores on major highways are a prime location, as are coffee shops and ‘vegan’ restaurants/markets.'”

No explanation is offered as to why a Midwest gas station is a strategic location to court tipsters, why the word “vegan” is put in quotes as though it is obscure slang, or how a hokey stock photo of a burglar might aid in the ALF’s capture.

The text of the poster reads:

Animal rights extremists have been attacking family mink farms all over North America. These attacks, besides being cruel and traumatic to the animals, are federal crimes and fall under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. Hundreds of animals have now suffered and painfully died due to these assaults on hard working families and their farms. The perpetrators are not heroes, or idealists; they
are felons that break into and destroy people’s livelihood, terrorizing families in the dead of night. In order to help stop these offenses, Fur Commission USA is offering a $5,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible.

After 10 fur farm raids in 5 months, the fur industry has gotten desperate. So desperate, they are apparently willing to embarrass themselves by using a wanted poster template reminiscent of one found in mall photo booths in the vain hopes a tipster will stumble upon their plea at an Idaho gas station.

If you see the man in the above photo, you know what to do.

Animal Liberation Front news article collection, 1984 to 1994

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Read the 52-page collection of press clippings from some of the ALF’s most high-profile raids.

This is a cool one sent by a reader: The “Animal Liberation Front Press Cuttings Pack,” published by the University of Minnesota’s Student Organization For Animal Rights in the mid-90s.

In it are 45 news articles covering a period that saw the majority of the ALF’s most well-known raids, such as:

• University of Arizona (1,200 animals rescued, 1989)
• Texas Tech University (5 cats rescued, 1989)
• Washington State University (7 coyote, 10 mice, 6 mink rescued, 1992)
• Oregon State University experimental fur farm (building set on fire, farm forced to close, 1991)
• Santa Rosa fur store arson (store set on fire, forced to close, 1988)
• Loma Linda University (2 goats and 8 dogs rescued, 1988)
• UC Davis (under-construction vet lab set on fire, 1987)
• University of Oregon (150+ animals rescued, 1986)

…and a ton more.

It’s a fascinating read, including articles that feature anonymous interviews with ALF activists, rare photos showing the aftermath of lab raids, and more.

This is the document to show someone who says the ALF only generates “bad media.” As the introduction points out, the majority of these articles delve into the plight of animals and the actual issues more than coverage of other animal rights activity (like protests). This document makes a strong case that the ALF generates invaluable – and positive – media for the animals.

The full 52-page document can be downloaded here.

Bonus for email subscribers

Sign up for the email list and get a download link for a set of 3 Animal Liberation Frontline reports:

• ALF press clippings collection, 1984-1994 (52 pages)
• ALF: The First 5 Years (4 pages)
• Leaked fur industry security alert collection (45 pages)

Sign up here to get the file, and get email updates as they happen.

South Dakota Attorney General Interviewed about A.L.F. “Hit List”

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Attorney General Marty Jackley weighs in on the threat of The Final Nail #4.

A South Dakota political website recently interviewed South Dakota’s Attorney General on the Animal Liberation Front guide The Final Nail #4. In the interview, he states the fur farm raiding guide creates…

“…a heightened risk and those in the potentially affected areas have been and are being contacted by local law enforcement.”

(There are six known fur farms in South Dakota).

Final Nail #4 makes waves

Over the last six months, it was speculated by mainstream media that the recent surge of fur farm raids was sparked, in part, by the release of The Final Nail #4, a how-to guide on raiding fur farms. While there wasn’t a huge amount of new information contained in the new Animal Liberation Front manual, the timing of its release (coming out just weeks prior to the campaign) would indicate it is possible the The Final Nail #4  had a role.

The Final Nail #4 received an abnormal amount of media coverage upon its release, with at least 7 news articles and several local TV reports covering its publication nationwide. The general message from the coverage was: The fur industry is scared.

And they had no idea of how credible their concerns were, as the next six months would see 10 fur farm raids.

South Dakota Attorney General weighs in

Part of the online tremors caused by The Final Nail #4 was an article on “South Dakota’s #1 Political Website,” which featured a brief interview with South Dakota’s Attorney General about The Final Nail, posted below.

(Despite quoting from it and posting an image of the cover, the two-part article refuses to call The Final Nail by name, instead calling it simply “the hit list.”)

Here is the interview:

1.      What’s your general impression of what [the Final Nail authors are] doing?  Is it ‘free speech’ or something darker?

Jackley: While our family is involved in ranching/farming and I proudly display the state bird and fish in my office, I respect its free speech until it is acted upon or causes harm to person or property.

2.      In encouraging the release of animals and vandalism, have the people involved in creating the list committed a crime for which they can be prosecuted? If not, should it be a crime?

Jackley: Exercising free speech is not a crime; however, if acted upon to harm person or property it could fall under trespassing, vandalism, theft, intentional damage to property etc, including the act of “aiding and abetting.”  You may recall as US Atty, I charged Greenpeace for their conduct/involvement at Mt. Rushmore that sent two of our federal agents to the hospital (they were not seriously hurt so it could have been worse).

3.      Do you think the release of this ‘animal activist hit list’ creates a heightened risk for these farmers & business owners?

Jackley: Yes, unfortunately there is a heightened risk and those in the potentially affected areas have been and are being contacted by local law enforcement.

4.      Do you anticipate that Law Enforcement in the affected counties where these businesses are located will have to add additional safety measures at taxpayer cost to respond to the threat?

Jackley: Through intelligence sharing law enforcement has been aware of this list for some time, prior to the New York Times article. Law enforcement in those affected counties has been given this information and they should make their own decisions on what necessary resource and precautionary measures that should be made.

Feds raid slaughterhouse & three-time Animal Liberation Front target

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The Rancho Veal slaughterhouse, set on fire three times by the Animal Liberation Front, is raided by the USDA.

This week, the government raided a Petaluma slaughterhouse and confiscated hundreds of pounds of animal flesh the USDA said may be contaminated.

The Rancho Veal slaughterhouse is the only remaining slaughterhouse in the Bay Area, killing up to 200 cows daily (year 2000 numbers). Recently the slaughterhouse also began killing pigs.

The slaughterhouse has been the target of attempted arsons on three occasions from 1997 to 2000. Significant damage was done in two of the three actions.

These are the entries for each of the three arsons, from the Animal Liberation Front: Complete Diary of Actions, the First 30 Years:

February 19th, 1997
Petaluma, CA
Rancho Veal slaughterhouse was attacked by activists of the Bay Area Cell of the A.L.F. At least one semi-trailer rig was reportedly heavily damaged by fire. From the communiqué:

‘We placed 4 incendiary devices in a double, semi-trailer truck used for live animal transportation. We used a total of five liters of flammable liquid, which we placed in the engine, the top of the cab and the connecting wheelbase.’ – Animal Liberation Front

January 3rd, 2000
Petaluma, CA
Fire damaged three separate buildings at Rancho Veal Corp slaughterhouse. Three fires set: one in an office, one in a truck, and one in a storage building. Three slaughterhouse trucks were also partially destroyed. Owner stated if the fires had not been spotted early, “the whole place could have been destroyed.” Damages estimated at $250,000. Rancho Veal kills an estimated 200 cows a day. Second arson at this location.
Animal Liberation Front

March 24th
Petaluma, CA
Third arson at Rancho Veal slaughterhouse. Incendiary device left on room. Fire failed to do significant damage. Slogan found at the scene: “Stop the Killing”.

Hunt for suspicious car in massive fur farm campaign

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New Fur Commission bulletin declares hunt for suspicious vehicle.

In a bulletin issued yesterday, the Fur Commission USA claims to have identified a vehicle of interest in the recent wave of mink releases. I have redacted all identifying information from the bulletin, which is posted below.

The bulletin does not identify why the car is considered to be of interest, but does give the license plate number, make and model of the car, and the genders of its occupants. The car was last seen in Glasgow Montana, and “may be headed west.”

After Frontline post, Fur Commission increases reward.

Also of note, within hours of an article on this site which pointed out that the Fur Commission’s reward for captured fur farm raiders has dropped 95% since 2008, they came back and announced that the reward has been raised.

Fur industry getting desperate

As a symptom of just how scared the industry is over the surge in animal liberations, the Fur Commission attempted to post their reward offer on anarchist and Indymedia sites; presumably to bait an audience they believe might have information about the releases. Again, a feeble gesture given ALF protocol (and that of all wise criminals) that no one not directly involved in an action should know about the action.

The bulletin

“Fur Commission USA
FCUSA Security Alert – Reward increased, more…

October 11, 2013

Fur Commission USA has increased the reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible in the recent farm raids. We are now offering, with generous support from American Legend and NAFA, an award of up to $50,000. A hotline is in place at [redacted] and is monitored hourly.

New information that we have obtained permission to release, has identified the “[redacted] of interest” as a [redacted], with a back window sticker that says “[redacted]”. The license plate is [redacted]. It was last seen in Glasgow MT yesterday and may be heading west. Border agents have been alerted, as have US and CAN law enforcement officers. The suspects are [redacted]. If anyone sees this vehicle call your local Sheriff’s or Constable’s office and the FBI/RCMP immediately.

Distributed by,
Michael Whelan
Fur Commission USA
541-595-8568″

Fur industry reward for ALF capture plummets by 95%

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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.

Minnesota mink release claimed by lone activist

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New claim of responsibility for the Grand Meadow, Minnesota mink release.

In a communique received today, “an individual working alone” took credit for releasing “at least” 250 mink (the farm puts the number at 450) from the Einar Myhre fur farm in Grand Meadow, Minnesota. It is the 9th US mink release in just over three months, as activists continue a massive fur farm campaign nationwide.

Working alone: the new model

Most notable about this release is that it was carried out by one person, acting alone. This is an emerging model, which has been seen in at least half a dozen significant actions in the past several years. Most recently, the September release of 20 mink in Utah was carried out by a single person.

It’s easy to see why increasingly, activists are choosing to carry out nightime raids alone. Finding solid, trustworthy, and willing people to carry out animal rescues is perhaps the greatest challenge of clandestine animal liberation activity.

Working alone also alleviates the threat of one person in the group informing on others, in the (rare) event of an arrest. The vast majority of substantial prison sentences in the US have been the result of an informant.

And the “working alone” model is particularly suited to mink releases, which do not require transporting animals off site, lookouts, or other roles that would necessitate additional participants.

While more participants would directly translate to more animals saved, we may increasingly see individuals weighing this benefit against the increased risk of informants, and the difficulty in finding trustworthy people to work with, and choosing to carry out rescue missions alone.

The communique

On October 7th, an individual working alone emptied a mink shed at the Myhre Mink Farm on Highway 16 in Grand Meadow, Minnesota. At least 250 fur-bearers ran to the lake directly behind the property. These animals needed very little help to freedom. As the cages were being unlatched, many of the individuals pawed it open themselves to make a dash. They are not domesticated and their spirits are not broken. Many of these mink screeched loudly at the sight of human hands, having only known the murderous hands of Einar Myhre. The only thing keeping these animals imprisoned is our own fear and a simple latch on a cage. A wild existence for them is only feet away. Make animal liberation a reality.

This is the ninth U.S. fur farm raid of the year. This level of activity has not been seen for nearly twenty years.

To the fur farmers of the world, we have nothing to say to you. We offer only this prayer: The rest is secrets. Silence now. If night has
fallen, sleep well.