Message to ALF supporters from “an anonymous liberator”.
This week I received an anonymous article, which I am posting below. It is signed “an anonymous liberator”. There is no way to verify the authenticity of the author as being a “liberator” or ever having carried out an Animal Liberation Front action. However there is a tenor to this article that is hard to fake.
This article calls out a particular type of person: those who exploit the risk and sacrifices of the ALF (and others) to increase their social status. Specifically, a subculture of keyboard gangsters who build a social identity around ‘supporting’ the ALF – motivated only by the image it builds and the social benefits of appearing “radical”.
This takes many forms, from ALF t-shirt-wearing by those who have never lifted a finger to help animals to “militant” blogs written by those who leave their computers only to go to restaurants or anarchist meetings.
The message of this article is long overdue: There is no such thing as “supporting the ALF”. The ALF doesn’t need “support” – it needs participation.
Unfortunately many will misread this critique of “support” as including support of ALF prisoners. I did not take that from this article at all. Instead, I read it as a call for a redirection of “support” – specifically, less cultivation of the image of militancy for social gain, and more actual action.
This is the article, in full:
DO NOT SUPPORT THE ANIMAL LIBERATION FRONT by one anonymous liberator
The Animal Liberation Front is in desperate need of fewer supporters. It has far, far too many, and the madness has to stop somewhere.
The supporters are legion in their black t-shirts – tapping away at laptops, surfing crowds at shows, bussing tables at the local vegan eatery, distributing zines. Thousands of them share their support every day on Facebook and Tumblr. They post and re-post, like and comment. They are ever proliferating.
But, sadly, while all of this reaches new heights in the frenzy of the internet, the underground is largely at a standstill in the real world. ALF support, at one point a recruiting mechanism subservient to the action that it helped empower, has now become the main event. So, since it no longer serves its purpose, it is kindly but firmly requested that you abandon your support.
Take off your t-shirts – here is the wake up call. If you are able-bodied and you have built an entire social identity around ‘supporting’ sabotage and liberation, you are now required to go out and do those things. Your support will not be missed. You will no longer be able to hold on to the comfortable fiction that it ever mattered in the first place. And you will not be able to speak about your nighttime activities, so you will miss out on scene points.
But you will be able to relish accomplishments far more meaningful than anything you could ever do on Instagram or at a show. When you are old and your tattoos have faded, these memories will still be clear. You will be able to make a true and direct impact in the midst of a cold and vast system. And you will be able to look a creature in the eyes and save her life. For those who truly believe, it will be no sacrifice to change roles and take risks in order to keep alive this thing they hold so dear. It takes no specialized skill, only common sense and courage.
Perhaps, as a community, it is time for us to start changing our lifestyles through a new collective paradigm. If you are a self-identified ‘radical’ who spends their life going to work and watching movies with friends, the only thing currently separating you from the average American is ideas. This must no longer be acceptable.
We cannot explicitly speak about, and thus cannot socially reinforce, a culture of underground activity. However, we certainly can build a “culture of crime,” whereby we encourage not only disrespect (easy and functionally irrelevant) but disregard for the law. Jaywalk, shoplift, trespass, whatever – get acquainted with ignoring the rules as a way of life. Start in an area where you feel comfortable, get your friends doing it, and then put what you learn to use in the dead of night.
Accompany this with a culture of institutional privacy – encryption for casual conversation, proxy web surfing, releasing ourselves from the need to share every move we make on social media. While it is most important that individuals take action, these collective steps might be useful.
As for those who do not change, who continue to post their blogs or write their songs, they should not be given the respect or recognition that they seek. It is not respectable to align oneself in words with a phenomenon based on action. And when one gains social clout from doing so, it is parasitic, or at the very least cowardly. It contributes to an activist culture where such inaction is somehow a reasonable, even honorable, manner of behavior.
While others offer liberation and risk prison time, these individuals offer ‘support’ and risk too many high-fives. But those whose support is only as good as their own comfort can keep both.
Press officers, convicted operatives, and the disabled can continue to speak up for the ALF. If actions surge to an all-time high, but no one is sharing the news on Facebook, the animals won’t mind. They do not care about our theories, ideas, beliefs, or our drama. They are in desperate need of fewer supporters and more actors.
If your support for the Animal Liberation Front is genuine, it will end tonight.
In a letter, government refuses release of public records due to potential for “vandalism”.
This week a reader submitted a letter they received from the Utah Dept. of Natural Resources, rejecting a formal request for the release of all licensed fur farms in the state. The request was denied on the grounds that to release the list exposed farmers to the potential for a visit from the Animal Liberation Front.
Specifically, the letter stated releasing the addresses would invade the privacy of fur farmers, and “potentially exposes them to threat of harassment and vandalism by groups and individuals opposed to such facilities.”
Here is a snapshot (click to enlarge):
This is another example of the “specter of the ALF” being exploited to target anyone with a subversive agenda – whether or not they break laws (or whether or not the laws they do break have any relation to animal liberation). Examples include keeping prisoners incarcerated for petty crimes in solitary confinement (Kevin Olliff), putting travelers through intrusive TSA screenings, and suppressing lawful protest through surveillance and limiting speech under the guise of “preventing eco-terrorism”.
And in this example, we can not so much as review previously public business records held by government agencies. An address is now a dangerous weapon.
Washington University claiming incriminating memo obtained by newspaper is a “hoax”.
Copy of the scandalous memo
On Wednesday morning, the Riverfront Times in St Louis posted excerpts from a memo purportedly distributed to faculty at Washington University’s medical school. The memo warned staff to “be on high alert for potential terrorist activity” during the time of this weekend’s “Free The Animals Conference” in St Louis.
The memo is incredibly incriminating, not just for its “eco-terrorism” scare-mongering, but even more so because of the following excerpt which advises researchers on taking steps to prevent intruders from obtaining footage of animals:
“[campus police advise] every precaution should be taken to make your animals ‘presentable.’ This should include replacing bandages often, ensuring animals have adequate food and water, and employing heavy security where there are animals in a post-op stage or animals with visible evidence of surgery or implants. Take extra steps to maintain all Animal Welfare Act standards.”
This is among the more incriminating quotes I can ever remember coming out of a lab.
But here’s one curveball: Washington University is saying they didn’t write it.
Hoax, or damage control?
About 12 hours after the original post on the Riverfront Times website, a revised version of the article was posted with this headline: “Wash. U. Med School Says Memo Warning of “Eco-Terrorism” is a Hoax“.
Of course they did.
View the before and after shots of the altered article:
The basis for the hoax claim is a single quote from a Washington University spokesperson:
“Washington University Protective Services did not send this memo to the medical center.”
So what’s the truth?
Without a copy of the actual memo (the Riverfront Times only included an illegible, thumbnail-sized photo), knowing the source (the paper didn’t identify theirs), or corroborating testimony from another recipient of the memo, getting to the truth might be impossible.
What is very simple is seeing the obvious: When caught tacitly admitting their labs are a horror show that must be made “presentable”, the university had every incentive to lie.
“Eco-terrorism” scare-mongering
The focus of the memo is to warn faculty and students of possible “break-ins, arson and animal kidnappings” (seriously) during the weekend of the Free the Animals Conference. And it does so in the most naive and excitable way possible.
We only have a few quotes (the photo indicates the memo is much longer), but here are excerpts we have:
Washington University research labs are “a major target of opportunity…. particularly for the schoolʼs use of primates.”
They believe that activist’s primary goal will be “obtaining video footage of [research] animals.”
That myself and other speakers at the conference “travel the country urging activists to commit crimes in the name of animal rights. Their appearances are often followed by ecoterrorist activity. This makes the period of Thursday through Monday extremely sensitive.” (I am not aware of a speaking appearance by any of the presenters ever being followed by an ALF action)
“Intruders will often employ disguises, so ask questions of any couriers, delivery persons, etc.”
And lastly, a warning to any trespassers over the weekend: “We will be working with local and federal law enforcement to pursue Animal Enterprise Terrorism charges against anyone trespassing in research buildings.”
Animal Liberation Front = amazing media
This is yet another example of hype over the Animal Liberation Front translating into some fantastic media for the animals.
First, to the extent that you believe the memo is authentic, vivisectors have been exposed talking candidly about how horrific and bloody their work is – and how much of a public relations disaster it would be if anyone caught a glimpse of the animals locked behind laboratory doors. This is big.
Second, the first article was immediately succeeded with a follow up article entirely on the campaign against Wash U and this Monday’s protest there. The controversy forced attention on the campaign against Wash U, and the work of local group St Louis Vegans.
On a bigger level, it forced a spotlight on the fact that a local university is killing thousands of mice, rats, primates, cats, dogs, rabbits, and other animals in its labs. This is a fact the university would prefer the public not think about.
Side editorial: It is tremendously disappointing that no national group has seized on the hugely incriminating quote instructing researchers to “make your animals ‘presentable'”. A quote of this caliber has the potential to be a national scandal, but it will take either a brave reporter or the muscle of a national group. And neither have stepped up to make this happen.
The humble conference that stimulated so much fear
In all likelyhood, “eco-terrorism alerts” like this are probably just a combination of willful ignorance and bored police just wanting to look tough. Do they think conference speakers and attendees will storm their labs dressed as couriers and “kidnap” their animals? Maybe. Does it make them look like real tough soldiers in the “war on terrorism” and vigilant guardians of lifesaving animal researchers? Definitely.
Until they get caught admitting they are protecting a house of horrors. Then they cower and deny, deny, deny.
Read the 1998 article on securing fur farms, written at the height of the ALF fur farm campaign.
Following up with the release of the Fur Commission USA document “Site Security: Strategies and Protocols“, I am posting a 1998 prequel: “A Comprehensive Security Plan for Mink Farmers“, written by Wisconsin sheriff Ed Frawley.
This article has an emphasis on the use of dogs to protect mink farms, yet also includes sections on “securing the perimeter”, use of cameras, and more.
It should be noted this is written by a police officer, and not someone with first-hand knowledge of how to secure a mink farm, or anyone involved directly in fur farming. As such, it represents the suggestions of an outsider and does not reflect the realities of mink farm security (or lack thereof).
This is not being posted as a serious look at how fur farmers treat security issues. This article – I think even most fur farmers would admit – is naive, alarmist, and uninformed. For example the author considers it a possibility the ALF carries guns on actions (and advises farmers to pull guns on trespassers), among other absurdities that I have not seen even in the most sensationalized FBI reports or literature.
I’m posting the entire article below. But first, the best quote:
“What the police do not know (but the terrorists do), is that… when mink are released from their pens, the farmers often loose 20 to 30 years of genetic records because its visibly impossible to tell one mink from another of the same color. That’s why stopping these people is so important to the farmers.”
A Comprehensive Security Plan for Mink Farmers
By: Ed Frawley
1998
Over the past few years mink farmers (farmers) throughout the United States have been victimized by animal rights groups. These people are social terrorists that sneak onto farms at all times of the day or night and release mink from their cages.
They are well organized. An intruder was just seen wearing “night vision” goggles as he was chased from one Wisconsin farm. Another farmer took photos of a very low flying airplane that had the FAA tail numbers removed from the plane (The photos and film were given to the FBI who were very interested in the incident.) They are also becoming more and more violent. This was witnessed in the bombing of the Utah Fur Breeders Assoc. in Salt Lake City that did $1,000,000.00 damage and the arson in Vail, Colorado of the ski resort that did $12,000,000.00 in damage in October of 1998.
No one knows for sure who these people are. It’s felt that they are members of organizations which are off-shoots of PETA. There are organizations called The North American Animal Liberation Front and The Earth Liberation Front that claim to be the main actors in the mink release program. The Earth Liberation Front is the group of terrorists that burned the ski resort in Vail, Colorado in October, 1998. They have their own web site that is updated almost daily.
A couple of years ago I was a guest speaker at the yearly meeting for the Wisconsin Mink Farmers Assoc. I was asked to write an article concerning security for the mink farmers. It’s taken me awhile to get the job done.
Security for a mink farm involves a comprehensive plan of defense. When we factor in the budget of the average mink farmer (which is far from limitless), dogs need to play a major role in a security plan. Many farmers already rely on dogs, but they have the wrong type of dogs. They do not train them properly and they do not kennel them properly. This is not meant as criticism but as simple fact. These people are farmers and not dog trainers. This article will deal with these issues. Being a Deputy Sheriff and K-9 officer, I will also offer sound advice on how to bring law enforcement into your security plan.
Before we get into the issue of security, I would like to say that the general public needs to look at this issue and get it into perspective. This is not about women wearing mink coats. It’s about respecting the rights of others in society. There is no law against mink farming and until the political process changes that, people that release mink are breaking the law.
The people who trespass onto farms, blow up buildings or burn ski resorts are “SOCIAL TERRORISTS”. Rather than work within the law and lobby to get laws changed, these terrorists choose to make up their own laws. In the end their actions turn public opinion against them because the general public finds what they do unconscionable.
Tom Clancy’s recent book “Rainbow Six” is an extreme example of where this kind of thinking can lead people.
Mink breeders are no different from any other animal breeder. They study genetics and they know their bloodlines. They take very good care of their animals. If the mink are not kept clean and well fed, they will develop poor coats. If this happens, the farmer looses the market for his pelts. Mink farmers are no different from cattle breeders, chicken farmers, Vail Ski Resort Owners, or any other businessman in this country.
The general public and most local law enforcement agencies do not understand how much damage these terrorists cause when mink are released. People find out that most of the mink are recaptured the next morning, so what’s the big deal?
The problem is that most of those that do escape, die. Domestic mink have long since lost the ability to fend for themselves in the wild. The terrorist’s response to this is “at least they had a chance at freedom.” I recently read a book that described the worst form of death being to die of starvation. Those mink that do live have a devastating effect on the local eco system. Wild mink are ferocious fighters and killers. Releasing even 100 mink into a local forest will often have a traumatic effect upon the entire chain of natural wild life. But then, this is a whole separate issue from the fact that trespassing onto someone’s property is illegal.
What the police do not know (but the terrorists do), is that mink farmers keep track of their bloodlines through their housing methods. A mink may live its entire life in its own pen which is recorded in the farmers bloodline files. Mink can not be tattooed, they won’t keep an ear tag in their ear and $40.00 computer chips are too expensive to put in a $100.00 animal. So when mink are released from their pens, the farmers often loose 20 to 30 years of genetic records because its visibly impossible to tell one mink from another of the same color. That’s why stopping these people is so important to the farmers.
Farmers need to look at security from many perspectives.
Organize Through the Internet
Work with Law Enforcement
Local Law Enforcement
Federal Law Enforcement
Secure the Perimeter
Use Motion Detectors
Use Dogs
Deployment
Selection
Housing
Training
Poison Proofing
Citizen Involvement
Hunting the Bad Guys (An optional plan of attack)
Counter Measures
Organizing through the Internet
Farmers are out of the loop in terms of technology on the internet. A.L.F. has a web site that is updated every week. Do not kid yourself. A.L.F. gained support and communicates and networks with members through cyberspace.
Mink farmers are not taking advantage of this technology. One only needs to do a search for “MINK RANCHING” or “MINK” on any search engine and see what comes up to convince you that the farmers are way out of the loop here.
Farmers need to have a much better run web site than anything I have been able to find on the internet. This web site needs to be well protected with anti virus programs (Manatee or Norton Anti Virus are the best on the market at this time).
It does not make sense that the A.L.F. can detect (within a day) an attempted penetration on their web site and the farmers have nothing. There is no reason that farmers and all of the various fur exchange organizations can not come together and support one web site designed around security and intelligence. All intelligence needs to be funneled to this one site.
This site needs to be in the hands of someone who is prepared to update the site within minutes of getting information on a new probe or release. For example, if a farmer knows that a black man and a white man with long hair were foiled near Madison WI. during the middle of the day, as they tried to cut through a perimeter fence, this can go onto the web site for others to be aware of. If a farmer even suspects that he saw a suspicious, small, red car driving near his house, this information should be e-mailed to the web site administrator. One never knows what information may fit into a larger picture that will help the authorities make an apprehension, or warn a potential victim.
This web site should be something that every mink farmer in America checks every morning over his cup of coffee. The excuse of not knowing anything about computers does not float anymore. When one can spend $600.00 at any Best Buy and purchase a computer that allows e-mail and access to the internet, there should be one in every farmers home. If I can teach my 12 year old son to send e-mail a 60 year old farmer can certainly learn something new.
Work Dealing With Local Law Enforcement
It’s almost impossible for local rural law enforcement to take a proactive approach to this problem. No department has enough people to guard the farms. The role of local law enforcement is therefore going to be limited to trying to apprehend the suspects after the fact. Most of the time the crime is not noticed until the next morning and by then the criminals are out of the county and many miles away. Considering that most of these people are not local, farmers should ask for a meeting with the local sheriff, and go in with a package of information outlining the seriousness of the crime and a little of the history of what is going on around the country.
The national organization should keep databases on the names of as many activists as are known or it should be available on the web site. Once again, this list needs to be built by members of the organization. The lists should be distributed to every farmer, who in turn provides that file to his local sheriff (and the sheriffs in the surrounding counties.)
In that way, if a crime is committed, these lists can immediately be made available to the law enforcement dispatch centers. When traffic stops are made and the driver’s or passenger’s name comes up on this list, the officer will have reasonable suspicion or probably cause to investigate further.
The importance of these lists becomes evident when dealing with people who have never been arrested. If someone has never been convicted of a crime, his or her name will not turn up on a police computer other than to verify the driver’s license. If I were a farmer, I would ask the sheriff if he would agree to keep an intelligence file at the department that I would keep updated. I would get the name of the department secretary who could be given updated lists for the file. Then, when a release takes place, copies of these lists could be made available to the deputies on duty. I would ask that they be distributed to the men in the patrol cars. If any farm within 300 miles has had a probe, it would be proactive to make sure that every patrol car has a copy of the list.
In your conversation with the sheriff, I would remind him that these people are going to be using police scanners. Ask him to cover this with his 911center. This means that when you have a penetration, you will need to remind all dispatcher to use what we call the DVP channel to notify the officers. DVP in our county simply means that the radio traffic is encoded and can not be picked up by police scanners. So the bad guys never know when police are coming if they are relying on a scanner.(Your county may call it something else.) Just remember, I will guarantee you that A.L.F. penetrators use police scanners and 2-way radios.
My feeling is that 99.9% of the local sheriffs are going to be behind you. You would only need to remind him that you are no different from the dairy farmers or any other farmer in the county. Other farmers are going to be on your side on this matter and farmers vote.
If your county is lucky enough to have a K-9 team, I would recommend offering your farm as a training ground. I can tell you from experience that dog handlers are always looking for new places to train. Certainly a mink farm is going to offer a normal police dog a lot of distractions. The need is only in the area of building searches in your empty sheds and barns, but the handlers also need new tracking grounds.
If your local K9 handler has used your farm during his tracking training, he is going to know the topography. He will have an idea of where someone would run if they had to come in cross-country. He will also have a personal interest in going the extra mile to help you as a victim. K-9 handlers (if they are worth their salt) are always looking for strange people to lay tracks for them. Offer to do it, or have your wife or children do it. This does not need to be dangerous. Depending on the skill level of the dog, it just means walking around your farm and waiting for the dog to come and track you. If there is a concern about being bit, then just climb a tree, or get up in a deer stand. Put yourself in a position where it’s impossible for the dog to bite you even if it is off leash. If you want to learn how to lay training tracks, get my training tape titled Track Laying for the Police Tracking Dog. This tape will teach anyone how to lay a training track. Make yourself valuable to the K9 handler and he will remember it.
If I were a mink farmer and I could afford it, I would donate anything I could to the local K9 program. Even if I could not afford to donate a dog, maybe I could talk the local Lions Club into sponsoring a dog team.
Working with Federal Law Enforcement
The encouraging thing is that the FBI is taking an active interest in catching these people. Josh Ellerman (19) is currently being held (without bail) in the Salt Lake County Jail as a federal prisoner. He was indicted on 16 federal counts which included building and possessing pipe bombs. These charges stem from the fire bombing of the Utah Fur Breeders Assoc. (the one that did over $1,000,000.00 in damage). ALF’s web site refers to these people as “PRISONERS OF WAR.”
Ellerman is facing a minimum of 30 years in federal prison. The beauty of the federal system over the state system is that a 30 year sentence by the feds means 30 years. The state of Wisconsin recently passed a “Truth in Sentencing Law”. As of July 1999, a 10 year sentence means 10 years without the possibility of parole.
Members of these organizations are being subpoenaed by Federal Grand Juries. A Federal Grand Jury does not allow a defendant to appear with his lawyer. It also does not allow the defendant the option of “taking the 5th” and/or “remaining silent”. If a defendant does not answer the questions posed by the grand jury, he faces, up to 18 months in prison. In addition, if he lies to a Federal Grand Jury, the penalties are even more severe. Federal judges do not hesitate to invoke these sentences.
Drug dealers have known and feared the power of the federal system for years. The Animal Liberation Front is just getting its feet wet in the system. Over time, the FBI will capture these people. They will be brought before a federal judge and be sent where they belong. Mr. Ellerman and his friends will find that it is not an enjoyable experience to become someone’s boyfriend in prison.
Securing the Perimeter
Mink farmers need to look at their farm as a military installation. The Animal Liberation Front views this as a war. Their web site refers to Ellerman and other ALF members in jail as “PRISONERS OF WAR”. The farmers need to develop the same mind set.
If they live in the woods, they need to clear the brush and trees away from their perimeter fence. In my opinion, the clearing should be a minimum of 100 yards (more if possible). I love trees as much as the next guy, but trees provide cover and concealment. The grass needs to be cut within this outer area of the perimeter. If the grass is over a foot long, I will guarantee you that a man can move slow enough to get to the perimeter fence without tripping motion detectors or without being seen at night.
If erosion is not a concern, I would even keep this area plowed. This is going to provide foot prints (evidence) and a direction of travel. It’s also going to make the going tough if the ground is wet. If plowing is not possible, I would at least install a 10 foot perimeter of sand around the outside of the perimeter fence. Use RoundUp and keep the weeds out of the sand. It’s also important to not let the sand get hard. Get a drag and use your riding lawn mower to break up the sand. Golf courses do it, so can farmers.
If the farmer makes it a habit of walking the perimeter of his fence every morning, he will know if he has been probed. Many times these guys will make a dry run before the actual mink release. If you find evidence of a probe, do not go near it. Call the sheriff and ask for an investigator to come out and take photos. I would even call the FBI and ask for help. Certainly after the Vail fires, the FBI is going to take a special interest.
Using Motion Detectors and Cameras
On more than one occasion I have been a member of the entry team on our local drug task force. As we were quietly sneaking through the backyard of a house (at 3 AM) to kick a door and execute a drug search warrant, the garage lights would come on because we had just triggered the motion detectors. Take it from someone who has been there, it increases the pucker factor of the cops. I can guarantee you that it gets the attention of the bad guys who intend on releasing mink.
This area outside the perimeter fence needs to be covered by motion detectors. These can be bought at any local store. The detectors can be wired to flood lights, or a siren, or both.
The only problem with motion detectors is deer and other animals setting them off at night. Deer can easily be trained to keep back from the perimeter fence. This is accomplished with an electric fencer. The farmer should use electric tape rather than electric wire. Deer love peanut butter. If the farmer will smear peanut butter on the tape the deer will get zapped when they lick the peanut butter off the electrical tape. The deer always remember this experience. They only need to get zapped once or twice and they will not come back. They find another place to wander. I learned this trick from a friend who operates an ornamental shrub farm in the middle of the woods. Deer love these shrubs. I could not figure out how he kept the deer from eating the small plants in the spring until he told me of his trick.
Motion detectors need to be properly installed and maintained to be effective. A farmer needs to determine the outer limit of the motion detectors to determine how effective they are. This can be done at night. They simply walk towards the perimeter fence from outside the farm. When the motion detector is triggered, they stick a flag in the ground. Then the next day, they go outside of the flags and install, the electric fence wires. If small animals are triggering the motion detectors at night, it may also be necessary to put up a low wire. One for deer and one for coons and the other smaller animals.
In the past year or two, video surveillance cameras have become very inexpensive and easy to get. Sam’s Club offers a system made by Exxis Corp. (800-683-9947). For under $800.00, a farmer should be able to install 4 camera -1 monitor system on their property. The importance of the camera is obvious, but farmers need to remember to hook a VCR to the system. If a penetration is seen on the monitor, the viewer must hit “PLAY-RECORD” before he does anything else. This video tape is some of the most valuable evidence that can be found during a jury trial. I have personally videoed more drug busts than I can think of and when the bad guy’s attorney sees his client on tape, he starts talking deal.
There are two schools of thought in regard to what the motion detectors should trigger. Most farms will want it to be flood lights and a horn to alert the dogs. Another train of thought (one that I would personally lean towards) would be to trigger a silent alarm that would go off in the house. This would allow me to take my personal protection dog (and gun) and become the hunter. In my opinion these people need to be caught and not just chased away; but more about that later in the article.
Lets assume that these guys get by the motion detectors and get near the perimeter fence. What then?
Using the Dogs
Dogs can be an inexpensive and very important part of a farmers protection plan. Unfortunately most mink farmers often do not understand dogs or dog training.
No dog is born to hate and kill mink. That’s impossible; it simply does not happen. But certain dogs are born with more prey drive than others. These dogs effectually chase things that run from them. So a dog with high prey drive will instinctively chase a mink that runs. Once these dogs kill a couple of mink, they quickly learn to identify mink as prey. When that happens it’s pretty hard to stop them from killing. So these dogs quickly fall out of favor with farmers. Unfortunately many times these experiences turn a farmer off of dogs.
So for dogs to be effective, they need to be properly selected and properly deployed. The following sections will deal with these issues.
Proper Deployment of the Dogs
Many farmers do not deploy their dogs properly. They think one, two, or three dogs running loose inside the perimeter is the answer. It’s not. If I had the kind of security problem that mink farmers have, I would have 4 or 5 yard dogs. I would keep each in its own area within the perimeter. They would never be allowed to run as a pack. Eliminating one would not eliminate the problem because the others would continue to bark.
To increase the effectiveness of the dogs, they must be kept separated and back away from the perimeter fence. This can be accomplished through the use of an in an in-ground fence system. (The Invisible Fence is one well known brand.) By keeping the dogs 15 to 20 feet inside the perimeter they can not be stuck with a needle or hit with a drugged dart gun. This means they bark for longer periods of time. The longer the dogs bark, the quicker the bad guys are going to leave.
I would recommend not using the Invisible Fence brand fence. It’s too expensive. Rather, use an Innoteck Fence. I sold Invisible Fences for 5 or 6 years in the mid-1980’s. These Innoteck fencers are the same quality. In fact, as I sit here typing this article, my son and wife are installing flags around our house and kennel so we can train three new dogs to be loose.
The beauty of these fencing systems is that one fence can be configured to create several different dog yards within the perimeter fence of the property. Each yard can hold one or two dogs. Farmers should know that males fight with males and females fight with females. So if more than one dog is to be kept in a yard together they need to be opposite sex.
By creating several different interior yards, the intruders will not be able to distract a whole pack of dogs (that are allowed to run together) to one side of the perimeter while his buddy slips in the other side and releases mink. In fact, farmers may want to keep one dog in a dog kennel in the center of the mink pens. This dog would not be allowed to run loose. So intruders would have to get by all of the exterior dogs and get to the middle of the facility to eliminate this one dog’s barking.
In my personal case, the fences allow me to have 3 very, very tough males loose at one time on my land. Multiple yards create different land mines on your property. It brings new meaning to the words “you can run but you can’t hide.” Its almost impossible to try and run through multiple yards and make it through them all. One dog will alert the next so he will be waiting at the border for a runner. It creates a whole different situation for the terrorists. They will not understand the boundaries of the fences and will not have the time to determine them. So while they may do something to one dog, it is unlikely they will have the time or ability to get all of the dogs.
If the dogs do their job, and they can not be eliminated, then the bad guys go away.
Selecting the Dogs
The fact is, farmers can often get by with 4 or 5 very cheap dogs and one very good (and costly) personal protection dog.
Farmers are mis-informed on what kind of dogs they need for this work. Many think all of the dogs need to be big tough dogs. While this will certainly work, it is too expensive. (good, fully trained adult German Working Bloodline Shepherd can cost up to $6,000 or $7,000.00.)
The dog’s main job is to bark and tell the farmer that an intruder is trying to come on the property. So while big German Shepherds may look intimidating, a happy little poodle can be just as effective. Don’t kid yourself that these people are just as concerned with a barking poodle as they are a barking German Shepherd.
The type of dog needed for “yard dog” is one that most people do not want. This is a dog with weak nerves. It’s a nervous dog that is going to be a very light sleeper. It’s a dog that will startle easily. It will bark at the slightest noise. A perfect example of this is a fear biter. Fear biters have weak nerves. They become aggressive because they are afraid of strangers. These kinds of dogs do not make good pets, but they can serve a very valuable task by working on a mink farm. A lot of American bloodline German Shepherds can fall in this category. American bloodline German Shepherds have had the working ability bred out of them, just as a domestic mink has had the ability to hunt and fend for itself in the wild bred out of it.
The best dog needs to be the farmer’s house dog. In my opinion this dog needs to be a very solid well trained dog. It’s a dog that has good nerves and is a social dog. Which means that its not a threat to family members or to visitors that are welcomed into the house. Most people who do not train police service dogs or sport dogs do not understand how this can be possible. The fact is that it is possible to have a dog that is very tough without being sharp. If you do not understand these terms, I recommend that you do a little research on my web site and learn about the drives of protection training.
I should mention that a personal dog must have a lot of prey drive. This drive is a must in protection training. If this dog chases mink it can easily be trained to leave the mink alone through the use of a Tri -Tronic electric collar. If you would like to learn more about the drives of protection training, I suggest that you go to my list of training articles on my web site and read the many articles. I would recommend starting with Understanding the Drives of Protection Training.
Training a protection dog is not something that is going to be done in a week or so. It requires a ton of work and a clear understanding of the drives of protection training. If you want to begin this learning process I recommend the following training videos:
Basic Dog Obedience The First Steps of Bite Training The First Steps of Defense Training Personal Protection Dogs
The cheapest way to obtain a good personal protection dog is to purchase a well bred puppy, and train it yourself. But unless a farmer is committed to doing the socializing and training that a young pup requires, he is wasting his money to buy a puppy. A well trained dog is a product of good breeding and good training. It’s a partnership. If the owner-handler drops the ball he will end up with a well tempered pet and nothing more.
If you have an interest in learning to train this kind of dog, the you can learn what is necessary through the following videos:
We want the dogs to sleep during the day and stay awake at night. That means they need to be put in a kennel during the day. That facility should be located away from the work area. We do not want the dogs to see the farm workers going about their work or they will not sleep. So the kennel needs to be quiet and located away from the working area. Keeping the kennel area dark during the day (in a well ventilated, clean building) and feeding when put up in the morning will help them sleep. In addition, I would use Tri-Tronic Bark Limiter Collars during the day. This will keep them quiet in the kennel.
Without no bark collars, if one dog barks, they will all wake up and bark. Farmers will often question using these collars. They are concerned about shocking the dog for barking during the day. They worry that this will carry over into their night work and the dog will not bark. This does not happen. I have 15 no bark collars that are put on my dogs at various times of the day and night. Dogs quickly learn where the shock comes from (the collar). They learn to quiet when it’s on and this results in them relaxing and sleeping.
The Training
You don’t need to be a professional dog trainer to get acceptable performance from yard dogs. If you select them properly, it’s simply a matter of teaching the dogs that people are always going to try and come into the perimeter at night. If the dogs are nervy dogs, they will learn to be concerned about this and become very sensitive to outside penetrations. They will also learn that barking (or biting) will drive these people away.
To explain the mentality that we want to develop, I like to use the example of the mailman. People often wonder why dogs bark at mailmen. The reason is not that the guy wears a uniform or that the dog smells fear and therefore acts aggressive. The reason is that the dog learns that every day this guy shows up and comes within the dog’s perceived territory (most dogs are territorial). His territorial drive triggers barking and the dog sees the guy leave. Since the dog has no idea what mail is, he thinks that his barking has chased the guy away, so the next day he barks harder. Basically the daily routine of the mailman trains the dog to bark at him. This same concept needs to be instilled in the farmer’s dogs.
So the simplest form of training is to talk your neighbors, your friends, your not so good friends, and anyone else that you can think of. Talk them into coming to your farm at various times of the night and try and sneak up to the perimeter fence.
Explain that they should really try and sneak up to the fence without being detected. Tell them that when the lights come on they should “FREEZE” in place. Make the dog pick up their scent. If your personal intruder makes it too easy, the dog will expect every intruder to be that way. So tell your people to try and get to the fence without the dog barking. If they can make it to the fence, they need to rattle the fence a little until, they get the dogs attention. When the dog barks, they need to jump and run away. This will build the dogs self confidence and make him bark harder next time. It builds his territorial drive.
As the dogs gain experience, tell your friends to do whatever they can think of get to the fence. Tell them to move slow like a hunter. Wait for the lights and horn to go off before moving again. The key to this game is this, when the dogs finally spot them they need to stand up, scream and run around like a crazy man. This will in turn drive the dogs crazy with drive. The dogs will expect every person they identify outside the fence to be a little crazy. Timing is of the essence to this training. Jump too soon and you lose the effect. Jumping up to late does not trigger the drive we want. The jump must be timed to when the dog alerts on the man. If its just a few yap yaps because the lights just came on, then they should not react. They should continue to crawl in towards the perimeter and wait for the real defensive BARK BARK BARK before they jump and run. This is the bark where there is no question in your mind that the dog KNOWS you are there and not the bark where he THINKS you are there.
If I were a farmer I would hire some neighbors high school kids to try to sneak into my pens at night. I would try and get experienced hunters. I would offer them a bonus if they got in without the dogs alerting or barking (I would show them where the boundaries to the yards are so they would know where the safe areas are inside the perimeter. If there are none, you can intentionally not put one dog in a yard and create a weak spot in the system which they would try and penetrate.)
Make a game of it. I would tell them that there are “no rules”. They can do whatever they can think of to beat the dog as long as they don’t hurt them. Put a trophy in the center of the dog yards and show them where it is. If they can get it out without you catching them, they get their bonus. A little incentive goes a long way.
Poison Proofing
A.L.F. members are going to try and drug the dogs. They will toss drugged meat in to the dogs to put them to sleep. Usually tree huggers would never consider killing a dog, but – considering their recent bombing out west, this may be changing. So the dogs need to be poison proofed. This is done by working with a local electrician. Ask him to show you how to wire a piece of meat to a battery so the dog will get knocked on his ass when he touches the food that he finds in the yard. Don’t think this is something you need to do once or twice and forget about. It’s something that needs to be worked on all the time and you need to experiment with various types of treats. In addition the dogs are only fed inside their kennel. Never anywhere else.
Citizen Involvement
One proven effective countermeasure has been citizen involvement. Coordinated deployment of organizations such as amateur radio clubs, REACT (CB) net operators, high school and college level ROTC members, police explorer (scouting) members, etc., has proven effective in cases ranging from nuisances such as graffiti and petty vandalism to major felonies. The most valuable contribution of these groups is that they serve as additional eyes and ears to law enforcement and in areas of split jurisdictions can facilitate increased police response times through direct communications with responsible agencies. And most of these groups have – or can arrange to have – either radio or cellular communications equipment of their own. The number of frequencies available and used by these groups make bad guy monitoring of radio traffic unlikely and useless and have resulted in numerous “in progress” busts. But while individual and group citizen involvement can be an effective law enforcement tool, it’s effectiveness is directly related to the degree of interest and willingness of law enforcement agencies involved to work with and coordinate agency and citizen efforts.
Hunting the Bad Guys
My wife just got through lecturing me on this next section. She explained that because of my experience in law enforcement as a K9 handler, I have a different view of these situations than most people. My wife is usually right about these kinds of things. But just in case there are a few mink farmers who feel like “taking on the mob,” the following section will provide food for thought.
Do not misinterpret what I am going to talk about here. I am not telling you to take the law into your own hands. All I am saying is that most mink farmers live in a rural area. A man can easily walk
a mile in 20 minutes. He can run a mile a lot faster than that when he is scared. In our county it’s not uncommon for the response time for a K9 unit to be 45 minutes. I will guarantee you that these people have an escape plan. If you can get on their trail with a dog, a Motorola radio, a game finder, and a hand gun, you just may be able to apprehend them.
I realize that some law enforcement agencies will think I am on shaky ground here. The law is very clear on the use of force and especially the use of deadly force. My advise to you is ” become an expert on knowing exactly what you are allowed to do in various situations”. You can not shoot them or shoot at them unless you believe that they have a weapon and intend to use it. It’s very important to remember this.
I do know that farmers have the right to protect themselves. They have the right to be in business. There is nothing against the law in a farmer detaining a burglar, a criminal trespasser, or a person who has committed a crime against him, his family, or his property. If that person threatens you, if you feel that your life is being threatened, then you have a very serious situation and a difficult decision to make.
My guess would be that these individuals are not armed, but with the recent bombings, this is not something to take for granted. I would approach every situation as if they were armed. I think that any expert would tell you that these kinds of people have an escalating spiral of violence.
They have proven this in the fact that they have gone from releasing mink to blowing up buildings. It is not inconceivable that they may take it a step further. Don’t kid yourself, the National Liberation Front and Ted Kaszinski sleeps in the same bed and dreams the same dreams.
So if you track them and catch them, be very careful. Make them get face down on the ground and wait for the police. When a police officer approaches your position you will need to be very careful in how you handle your weapon. Until they positively identify you, every cop is going to be very nervous when he finds a civilian in the woods with a weapon. So when you know the police are near, make sure the suspects are face down. Tell them to face left or right and then move behind them so you are at their feet with them looking away from you (so they can not see you). Get 25 to 30 feet back away from them. (Do not get closer than this) As the police near your position, lower your weapon and give some thought to putting it away (either in a holster, in your belt or on the ground) Then keep an eye on the suspects because at this point they may be getting close to fight or flight.
If a mink farmer makes up his mind to be a tracker, it would be a good idea to invest in a pair of hand cuffs (@ $40.00). Keep them with your gun. When suspects are caught, toss them the handcuffs and have them cuff themselves together. This makes it more difficult to run if they would decide to jump and make a break for it.
These small Motorola radios ($150.00 each) are good for a couple of miles. If you have radio contact, make the police come to you. Keep the suspects face down and do not try and walk them out alone. If you do not have radio contact, then you do what you have to do to get them into police custody. Just don’t do something stupid that will get you in jail with them.
If you go through the work of buying a good working bloodline dog and training it as a personal protection dog, you may want to train it to track a human. This is not only fun to do, it keeps you in shape. It also allows the option of tracking and capturing these pukes. You can read about some of the work involved to train your dog to track on my web site. Read the articles on Tracking Thru Drive. You can also purchase the video Training Police Tracking Dogs.
Finally, I tried to put this in perspective for my wife. Before we were married, she was almost raped. This was a terrible experience for her. It took many, many years for her to get over this ordeal. We were dating at the time and the only thing that saved her was a can of “mace” that I had given her the week before. My wife was the type of person who would never hurt a flea. After this attack, she has learned how to use a hand gun and would not hesitate for one second to use it if someone came into our home and she felt threatened.
I think if she were a mink farmer who had his mink released she would be a hunter.
So remember this is not an issue about mink coats. It’s not about killing mink. It’s about the law and our rights as citizens. The point here is that these people are organized social terrorists. If you are a dog breeder, don’t kid yourself that these fanatics will not some day redirect their
energy towards you. They have their sights set on sled dog racing. Next it could be schutzhund and police service work.
Status update on Double T Farms, an Iowa breeder of birds for animal research labs.
Ted Golka of Double T Farms
In rural western Iowa, Ted Golka operates Double T Farms, which breeds birds for vivisection labs (and other purposes). Hundreds of pigeons were liberated in two separate raids at this farm in 2001 and 2002. Both actions were claimed by the Animal Liberation Front.
This week it was confirmed Double T Farms is still in business, and supplying the University of Florida.
Very little follow up is done on ALF targets – whether or not they return to “business as usual”, and to what extent (if any) the actions disrupted or stopped the targeted operation. This is especially true of more rural ALF targets, such as fur farms, where the status of such operations is harder to confirm.
This week, those involved in the campaign against the University of Florida obtained information that 8 pigeons from Ted Golka and Double T Farms were delivered to UF’s Animal Care Services.
The website for Double T Farms makes no mention of any animals being sold to research labs.
Double T Farms also breeds geese, swans, and ducks.
Register for the Free the Animals anti-vivisection conference in St Louis, October 27th & 28th.
An awesome conference is scheduled for later this month, put on by Stop Animal Exploitation Now and St. Louis Vegans. Subtitled “Effective Action Against Vivisection”, the conference’s mission statement reads:
“The Free the Animals Conference will empower and energize activists across the U.S. to attack the animal experimentation issue head-on and make concrete changes for the tens of millions of animals who are imprisoned in laboratories. “
I’ll be presenting along with a great lineup of speakers:
St. Louis is a six hour drive (or less) from a lot of major cities, including Kansas City, Chicago, Indianapolis, Little Rock, Memphis, Louisville, and more. There are special hotel rates for out of town guests, and people are encouraged to travel.
Here is all the info:
Where: Holiday Inn Saint Louis-South, St Louis MO.
How you can promote: Repost this info everywhere – Twitter, Facebook, and your website: Invite your friends via the Facebook event page, and link to the the main event page.
The history of the Animal Liberation Front has a very short list of well-known people whose work has been well documented. There is a much longer list of unsung heroes whose contributions have gone unknown or underappreciated. One such person is Jonathan Paul.
A new documentary short titled “Rescued: Animal Liberation” highlights the activist career of Paul, recently released after serving 51 months for burning down a horse slaughterhouse.
As part of his plea agreement, Paul admitted to a role in a slew of high-profile Animal Liberation Front raids. These include some of the most notable ALF actions, such as the break ins at the University of Oregon in 1986 and the University of Arizona in 1989. As one person who reviewed his legal paperwork said to me: “People have no idea what a rock star Jonathan Paul is, and how many actions he had a part in.”
The extent of Jonathan Paul’s work with the ALF has not been fully covered or appreciated, and this film by Dog Park Media is a start towards documenting his important work.
Endnote: For more reading on the work of Jonathan Paul, I recommend the book Operation Bite Back, which focuses on the work of Rod Coronado and (to a lesser extent) Paul.
Animal Liberation Front frees birds from farm outside Portland.
In a communique posted by Bite Back, the Animal Liberation Front took credit for releasing “dozens” of pheasants from Primrose Pheasant Farm in Canby, Oregon. The communique alluded to the purpose of the farm: breeding birds for both their flesh, and canned hunts.
In March, the ALF freed 100 pheasants from another farm in Oregon. The raids mark a small but emerging trend in ALF actions: targeting facilities that breed wildlife. Whereas in the past the ALF’s wildlife-related actions were dedicated to fur farms, over the past several years numerous other wildlife facilities have been raided – including farms breeding pheasants, elk, and deer.
Locating and targeting wildlife operations is a logical progression in ALF tactics. Focusing on animals that survive in the wild relieves activists of a major burden present in actions such as laboratory liberations: having to find homes for animals. Removing this step means anyone with a car and a pair of wire cutters can free hundreds or thousands of animals from farms that breed anything from woodchucks to quail.
The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife does not appear to publish a list of licensed game farms like the one raided this week, however a company called “Game Birds R Us” in Scio, OR; holds a “Confined Animal Feeding Operation (CAFO)” permit.
The full communique reads:
“On the night of September 21, 2012, saboteurs tore open a lone flight pen located at the newly incorporated Primrose Pheasant Farm (27368 S. Primrose Path Canby, Oregon), releasing dozens of slaughter-bound ring-necked pheasants into the countryside.
Naturalized populations of ring-necked pheasants have resided in the Willamette Valley for hundreds of years and the surrounding farm land serves as ideal habitat that these captive bred non-domesticated birds can undoubtedly survive in. Destined otherwise to be killed by butchers and sport hunters, these sentient beings will now get the chance to live out the rest of their natural lives in the wild.
Animal Liberation Frontline obtains agenda for annual Fur Commission meeting.
Following up on last week’s posting of an ALF-prevention security manual for fur farmers, I am posting another internal document from the Fur Commission: the agenda for the FCUSA’s annual meeting, held every year in Park City, Utah. This is where most of the major decisions affecting fur farmers are made, and the industry’s heaviest hitters get together to strategize.
And much of that strategizing is about the animal rights movement. According to the agenda, at least 45 minutes went to “animal rights extremists”, which fur farmers have named in a poll as the #1 threat to the survival of their industry.
According to the 2011 agenda, part of this came in the form of a talk by Utah Division of Homeland Security’s “intelligence analyst”.
Fur Commission 2011 Meeting Agenda
What is the “Utah Division of Homeland Security”? It appears to be a state organization (not federal), but is housed in Utah’s “fusion center” – part of the Orwellian trend in which various state and federal law enforcement agencies – previously separate – join together in one building for the purpose of sharing “intelligence”.
According to their website, the UDHS’s focuses include:
Intelligence Analysis
Investigative Case Support
Risk and Threat Assessment
Organized Crime &Gang Analysis
Counter-Terrorism
Homeland Security Risk Mitigation
Fur industry turns to the law for protection
It would make sense the industry would seek “professional help” at the biggest fur farmer meeting in the country – since 1996, there have been over 90 raids of fur farms by the Animal Liberation Front and others. Last year, the Fur Commission shifted their entire focus from public relations to security, recognizing that the survival of their entire industry could depend on how effectively they could prevent ALF liberations and sabotage.
The rest of the agenda…
According to the agenda, the presentation from the Utah Division of Homeland Security was followed by the Fur Commission’s in-house expert on “security and risk analysis”. This, presumably, was a talk more specific to securing fur farms against an ALF action.
The rest of the agenda is comprised of general housekeeping (FCUSA “programs report”), and a public relations talk (on “Communicating with Consumers”), followed by dinner (Ghidotti’s Classic Italian Restaurant, 6030 N. Market Street Park City, UT). The agenda also names the hotel where the fur farmers stay, where the meeting is held, and more.
“Animal rights extremism has been the biggest threat to the well-being of the mink ranching community for the past 30 years.” – fur farm security manual
“If an individual or group is determined to enter your property, and willing to risk capture or injury, there is nothing that can absolutely prevent it.”
Animal Liberation Frontline has been provided with a 20-page document for fur farmers titled “Site Security: Strategies and Protocols” This manual is circulated to mink and fox farmers by the Fur Commission USA, and provides the most detailed look to date into security protocols fur farmers use to protect themselves against the Animal Liberation Front.
This is a sensitive document that the fur industry never wanted public. It reveals every detail on how they prevent ALF raids – from motions senors to fence tampering sensors and more.
The guide is a manual for both preventing ALF raids, and doing damage control after they have happened. It is the culmination of everything the Fur Commission USA has learned in 17 years of ALF fur farm liberations.
Since 1995, there have been over 90 raids of fur farms in the US. This campaign has seen the liberation of over 100,000 animals and millions of dollars in damages inflicted on the fur industry. In a 2011 poll, fur farmers rated these raids by “animal rights extremists” as the single greatest threat to their businesses.
To protect themselves, the Fur Commission USA created this manual. The document includes detailed descriptions of alarm systems, protective fencing, how to use neighbors to report suspicious activity, and more tactics for preventing ALF raids.
Fur farmers shift focus to security
The FCUSA to has admitted to shifting it’s focus last year after the realization that the ALF – not mainstream efforts – represented the biggest threat to fur farmers:
“In June of 2011, FCUSA went through a reassessment of priorities, and concluded that our security strategies going forward will focus on preventing the farm attacks that have plagued our industry.”
This document is part of that shift. Once focused on public relations, fur farmers have tacitly admitted they cannot win the support of the public, and instead should shift their focus to “farm security”. That is, preventing raids by the Animal Liberation Front.
Highlights from the manual
Among the interesting items included:
*What fur farmers should (and should not) say to the media if their farm is raided.
*What fake cameras to use for the fur farmer who cannot afford real ones.
*How to entice neighbors to report suspicious activity near the farm (the Fur Commission recommends baking them a pie).
*How to trick mink into returning to the farm once released.
*The type of sign the Fur Commission describes as “vital to successful AETA (Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act) charges”.
Short note on fur farm security
Although the Fur Commission never expected this would be seen publicly, there is still a certain amount of posturing going on with this document, not evident to anyone who hasn’t been on a fur farm. After visiting over 100 fur farms close up, I can say that almost NO fur farms employ the security measures promoted by this manual.
The 20-page document is divided into ten sections. I will break down highlights from the most interesting portions here.
Chapter two: Communications
If you’ve followed media coverage of ALF mink releases, and noticed patterns that indicate fur farmers are reading from a script, you’re right. And this document proves it.
The manual gives a bullet-point list of talking points for fur farmers to use when speaking to the media. Prefacing this list, the authors give this stern instruction to fur farmers:
“Remember, that all comments should relate to THE HEALTH AND SAFETY OF THE ANIMALS.”
What follows is a virtual script for fur farmers to follow when speaking to the media. These talking points will be familiar to anyone who follows ALF media coverage. The following is lifted directly from the manual:
Points to emphasize with media:
• The mink are domesticated animals and will not survive in the wild
• The animals are suffering and can die of dehydration within 24 hours
• They are attracted to the sound of traffic and many will be killed by vehicles.
• Praise the community for coming out to help rescue your animals in this time of
need.
• You are a law abiding, contributing member of your community.
I left out the last item because it deserves a spotlight. With a not-so-subtle wink, and the most tongue-in-cheek tone possible, fur farmers speaking to the media are instructed to:
It is everything animal rights activists have suspected fur farmers say behind the scenes, laid bare: Fake an interest in animal welfare, pretend to care about animals, then snicker about your deception later when no one is looking.
Post-raid media relations: cont’d
The subject of communicating with the media is given even more space. The focus is imploring targeted fur farmers to not speak with the media themselves, and to allow a Fur Commission USA spokesperson to do the talking.
Why does is it recommended that the targeted farmer not speak with the media? Quote:
“…the ranch owner should NOT ADDRESS THE MEDIA in this situation. The reason is, that an attack is a very emotional event and it is likely that the rancher will be angry and vengeful at the time.”
Any temporary media designee is instructed to lie, and tell the media the farmer “is just too busy ‘rescuing the animals’ to comment”.
Fur farmers are also encouraged to build relationships with neighbors (who the authors admit can be “difficult”), so that they will call-in any suspicious activity around the farm.
Chapter Three: Deter
To increase their chances of the ALF targeting another farm, the manual recommends one first step for deterring a raid:
“The primary goal of your security measures is to deter attackers from targeting your facility.”
The manual then outlines a security protocol to be used by fur farmers. I want to say again that after seeing many farms up close: almost no farms employ the security systems the Fur Commission recommends. Some of these recommendations are:
“..an integrated system of components that deters, denies and detects an intruder’s access to your facility. Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), Intrusion Detection, Access Control, Lighting, Physical Barriers (fencing), Guard Dogs, Patrols, Geography and Communication are all vital factors in determining your security preparedness.”
Farmers are again advised to use their neighbors to report suspicious activity:
“Attackers will do multiple drive-bys before attempting a raid. It is important for you (and your neighbors) to be able to identify and report unusual activity to law enforcement and Fur Commission USA.”
Counter-surveillance for fur farmers
The manual recommends the following “counter-surveillance measures”:
“No Trespassing” signs: According to the document: “‘No Trespassing’ signs are vital to successful prosecutions of Attempted Burglary, Criminal Trespassing, Breaking and Entering and AETA [Animal Enterprise Terrorism” charges.” As reported on Animal Liberation Frontline last year, the Fur Commission designed the following sign, which threatens terrorism charges against trespassers:
Fake security cameras: The document suggests farmers who are unable to afford real surveillance cameras (which almost no farms have) use “dummy cameras” to deter animal liberators.
“Dummy-cams inside housings, with recognizable LEDs, can also be installed on poles along theperimeter or near the street, and can be very effective in creating the impression of a sophisticated security system. When using dummy-cams, be sure to conceal the camera make and model (can easily be looked up and identified as a dummy-cam)”
I can think of a couple reasons these are utterly futile as a deterrent. One, the ALF will nearly always wear masks during raids, so cameras are irrelevant. And two, with this document made public, the world now knows the many (if not most) cameras on fur farms are fake. Oh, and the world now knows exactly what the fake cameras look like.
Chapter four: Deny
“If an individual or group is determined to enter your property, and willing to risk capture or injury, there is nothing that can absolutely prevent it.”
The chapter begins by admitting upfront: nothing will prevent a determined liberator from breaking into a fur farm.
It goes on to downplay the threat:
“Fortunately, most of our opponents are not that dedicated to the cause, as to jeopardize their health and/or freedom in pursuit of it.”
This chapter focuses primarily on fencing. Numerous fencing options for fur farmers are discussed and rated for their resistance to being cut or felled. The fence most highly recommended is one that is sunk into the ground at least one foot to “prevent tunneling”.
Also noted: “Bolt-cutters are a standard tool of the opposition.”
(click to enlarge)
Chapter Five: Detect
“If an attack occurs, it is vital that the breach is detected as soon as possible. The ability to respond to a break-in immediately can spell the difference between capturing the assailants and preventing a release, and losing thousands of animals.”
The manual recommends several methods of detecting fur farm “breaches”:
neighbors
an alert staff working at the farm
cctv cameras
motion sensors
fence sensors
silent and audible alarms
proper lighting (motion activated)
“a K9” (family dog)
neighbors (The guide actually states neighbors should be called on to capture fleeing fur farm raiders by blocking the road.)
On the subject of cameras, the manual states upfront:
“The most important thing to remember is to make the cameras obvious. They need to have strong LED’s and be visible to anyone in the area, night and day.”
The “most critical” tool in detecting fur farm raiders
What do fur farmers perceive is the single most important tool in detecting fur farm raiders? Here it is:
“We believe the most critical detection device should be something integrated into your perimeter fencing (i.e. contact wire).”
“Contact wires” are described as follows:
“Long stretches of fencing can be monitored using a simple circuit. An insulated wire is woven through chain link or attached to the top or bottom of solid fencing. If the wire is cut or broken…This will activate any connected alarm system.”
Motion sensors are another recommended method of detection.
“Many farms also use detection mechanisms inside the sheds (primarily motion detectors or infrared beams). These can be adjusted so they are not triggered by mink or rodent activity, but only by atypical movement.”
Photobeam detectors are also effective tools. Most are weather and tamper proof and they can be installed along the inside of your fencing, as well as within the mink yards and sheds. Dual beam units are adjustable to prevent false alarms from falling leaves, birds or rodents, while effective ranges can vary up to 600+ feet per unit.
All alarm systems should trigger a silent response to your home, office and/or smartphone, as well as an audible signal in the mink yard. It is important that the assailants know that they have been detected, as they will likely flee upon the first sign of discovery. This will limit further damage.
Chapter Six: “What Fur Commission Can Do For You”
This chapter covers several security resources offered to fur farmers by the FCUSA.
Neighborhood Watch Report: Described as a massive dossier including, quote: “physical descriptions, vehicle descriptions and license numbers of suspected animal rights extremists seen in the vicinity of farms, as well as documented threats received by mail and email. The report goes back decades and is now over 200-pages long. It is regularly updated and distributed to law enforcement around the country.”
Email listserves: Two email lists are described as existing to help fur farmers prevent ALF attacks. The “Netwatch” email service is “primarily designed for law enforcement and covers general environmental extremism and potential flashpoints, on a national basis.” Second, the “Farm Security list… is focused more on a local and regional level, and primarily covers time sensitive, potential threats directed towards the U.S. mink rancher.”
Security Assessments: The Fur Commission offers to send its “director of security” to fur farms for an on-site security assessment. Quote: “This assessment will include fencing, camera, and alarm evaluations, as well as identifying likely tactics and targets of the
opposition.”
A “law enforcement liaison”: The Fur Commission USA employs an ex-police officer to focus full-time on fur farm security. Quote:
“Over the years, Fur Commission has created and nurtured many influential contacts within the law enforcement community. Our Director of Security, in addition to his time serving our country overseas, was a police officer for 18 years in both a large urban center and a small rural town. His ability to communicate on a professional level with law enforcement is vital in supporting our relationships In case of an attack, or the threat of an attack, we have the ability to engage officers from the DC headquarters of the FBI, down to your local sheriffs deputy.”
Lastly: security product guide for fur farmers
The manual concludes with a list of recommended security devices for fur farms, a sample letter to give to local law enforcement (allowing them access to a fur farm to arrest trespassers when the owner is not present), and a list of animal rights websites that are “of most interest” to fur farmers. Animal Liberation Frontline is flattered to have made the top of the list, followed by:
This document is an invaluable and rarely-seen look into how animal abuse industries strategize against the Animal Liberation Front when they think we aren’t looking. For the first time, we have an answer to the question of exactly what fur farmers are doing to prevent the ALF. And the answer is: not much.
Just a heads-up that there are two developments in the investigation into arsons at the homes of two UC-Santa Cruz research’ers.
Update 12:29pm: The total number of people subpoenaed is now believed to be seven.
1) One person who was a resident of Santa Cruz at the time of the arson testified to the grand jury on May 22nd, 2012. The content of her testimony is unknown.
2) Another person has been ordered to appear before a grand jury investigating the fires. The name of the person has not been released, but it is known that he lives in Seattle. According to the report I received, he was subpoenaed once, and then because of a technicality, was required to be subpoenaed a second time. The FBI has since been unable to locate him to serve the second subpoena.
To date, at least five others (seven total) are known to have been subpoenaed to the grand jury.
The arsons were not claimed by the Animal Liberation Front, or any animal liberation group. One of the targets is not even believed to do research on animals, and all attempts to link these incidents to animal liberationists have come entirely from the FBI and pro-animal research groups.
More information will be posted as soon as it available.
Animal Liberation Frontline obtains confidential “security alert” detailing the hacking of the Fur Commission USA website.
For over 8 hours on Thursday night / Friday morning, the website for the Fur Commission USA went nearly blank, and the main page was replaced with the message “Destroying the Fur Industry Piece by Piece – A.L.F.”
(click to enlarge)
There has been no claim of responsibility, but the website hack was confirmed in a “security alert” sent by the Fur Commission USA to its members yesterday. Animal Liberation Frontline has obtained the bulletin, not intended to be read by the general public, which gives the following insights into the hack:
*The FCUSA claims the website was hacked from 3am to before 10am. This is a deliberate lie by the FCUSA. As this time-stamped screenshot shows, the site was hacked at least as early as 11pm CST / 9pm PST, a full six hours earlier than the email claims. Presumably, the time the site was hacked was cut in half (or more) to mitigate embarrassment it is suffering over the incident.
*Quote: “NO SENSITIVE INDUSTRY OR PERSONAL DATA has ever been stored on the website, and member section materials were never accessed by the intruders”.
*Quote: “What is evident is, that our opponents monitor our sites constantly and when a vulnerability is discovered, attack immediately.”
*Quote: “The perpetrators, when discovered, can and will be prosecuted under the AETA (Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act).”
The bulletin reads, in full:
“Security Alert
FCUSA website hacked
August 11, 2012
As you may know by now, the Fur Commission USA website (www.furcommission.com) was hacked the morning of August 10 by the ‘ALF’ . It was down for approximately 6 hours (Accessed sometime after 3:00 AM PST and restored before 10:00 AM). I’ve been told by our programmers that the hackers used a 3rd party script (facebook, twitter, paypal for example) to detour people to an alternate site, unlike a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) where malware is loaded into the code to crash the site. The vulnerability has been patched and updated firewalls have been installed. This process took our programmers less than 10 minutes. At no time did the intruders have access to edit or delete furcommission.com content. NO SENSITIVE INDUSTRY OR PERSONAL DATA has ever been stored on the website, and member section materials were never accessed by the intruders. The programmers are now tracing the source of the attack and are forwarding information to the FBI in Washington DC. What is evident is, that our opponents monitor our sites constantly and when a vulnerability is discovered, attack immediately. This is called a 0-day attack. The perpetrators, when discovered, can and will be prosecuted under the AETA. (Often, challenges become opportunities…..)
Distributed by,
Michael Whelan
Fur Commission USA
541-595-8568”
Damage estimate and new info about last week’s fox liberation in Virginia.
One source apparently close to the farm’s owner is reporting damages from last week’s Virginia fox farm raid at $25,000 to $30,000. In addition to liberating 13 foxes, the Animal Liberation Front stated they also “damaged machinery” at the farm.
Although mainstream media has yet to pick up the story, there is other information Animal Liberation Frontline has learned about the fox liberation:
Owner Scott Dean is a trapper and member of the Virginia State Trapper’s Association (VTA), National Trappers Association (NTA), and Fur Takers of America (FTA).
In addition to the fox farm, Dean also owns “D&S Nuisance Animal Control” out of the same address. His website describes the company as providing the following services: “animal capture, animal removal, animal control, animal trapping, animal exclusion, animal damage repairs, animal waste cleanup, and more.”
Among the “nuisance” animals Dean will capture are foxes. This raises the question: Rather than “humanely” euthanizing the foxes other people pay him to capture (as he promises on his site), does he instead sell them for fur?
If so, this is almost certainly in violation of his National Wildlife Control Operators Association membership at best, and against the law at worst. Dean’s business live-trapping wildlife on other people’s property would provide him a steady stream of animals that aren’t just free – other people are paying him to take them. While we can’t know for certain, Dean’s dual work as a fur farmer and “wildlife pest removal” provider would seem to pose an inherent conflict of interest.
I will post any new information on the raid as it is available.
