Complete List of ALF Fur Farm Raids, 1986-2012

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Complete, updated list of every known Animal Liberation Front fur farm raid.

Part eleven in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign.

Here it is: a list of every reported fur farm raid in the United States. From the first (incomplete) report of a fur farm raid in 1986, to the most recent: 13 foxes released from a farm in Virginia. Most of these were claimed by the Animal Liberation Front, while many were not.

This info was compiled from multiple sources, including: A.L.F. Complete Diary of Actions book, Bite Back, internal fur industry documents, discovery paperwork in legal cases, and media reports.

Here’s the final tally:

93 fur farm raids.
Just over 130,000 animals freed.

(If you notice any omissions or errors, please contact me. I want this list to be as thorough as possible.)

Fur Farm Raid List

1986
Unnamed farm
Near Portland, Oregon
66 silver foxes liberated

August 13th, 1995
Davidson Fur Farm
Annendale, Minnesota
One coyote liberated

November 16th, 1995
Jordan Mink Ranch
Olympia, Washington
400 mink liberated
CLOSED

November 16th, 1995
Ma Ellis Fox Farm
Pleasant View, Tenessee
30 foxes liberated
CLOSED

January 15th, 1996
Zimbal Mink Ranch
Sheboygan, Wisconsin
400 mink liberated

April 4th, 1996
W. Bennet Fur Farm
Victor, New York
1,700 mink liberated

June, 1996
Brainard Fur Farm
Snohomish, Washington
80 mink liberated
CLOSED

June 7th, 1996
Fur Breeder’s Agricultural Cooperative
Sandy, Utah
75 mink liberated

June 21st, 1996
Unknown fur farm
Riverton, Utah
1,000 mink liberated

July 4th, 1996
Latzig Mink Ranch
Howard Lake, Minnesota
1,000 mink liberated
NOW A FERRET FARM

July 17th, 1996
Holt Mink Ranch
South Jordan, Utah
3,000 mink liberated

August 9th, 1996
Carmel Mink Ranch
Hinsdale, Massachusettes
1,000 mink liberated
CLOSED

August 12th, 1996
Jorney Mink Ranch
Alliance, Ohio
2,500 mink liberated

 

September 28th, 1996
Jorney Mink Ranch
Alliance, Ohio
8,000 mink liberated

October 2nd, 1996
Paul Westwood Fur Farm
Salem, Utah
1,500 mink liberated

October 5th, 1996
Gauthier Fur Farm
Lindboro, New Hampshire
35 fox and 10 mink liberated

October 11th, 1996
Carmel Mink Ranch
Hinsdale, Massachusettes
75 mink liberated
CLOSED

October 23rd, 1996
Arnold Krohl Fur Farm
Lebaon, Oregon
2,000 mink liberated

October 25th, 1996
Reese Fur Farm
Coalville, Utah
2,000 mink and 200 fox liberated

October 29th, 1996
Bennett Fur Farm
Victor, New York
46 fox liberated

December 14th, 1996
Brainard Fur Farm
Snohomish, Washington
50 mink liberated
CLOSED

December 25th, 1996
Jack Brower Fur Farm
Bath, Michigan
150 mink liberated

April 9th, 1997
Kelly Fur Farm
DeBerry, Texas
10 chinchillas liberated

May 11th, 1997
Parson’s Mink Ranch
Salisbury, Maryland
500 mink liberated
CLOSED

May 28th, 1997
Lou Masog Mink Farm
Lebanon, Oregon
80 mink liberated

May 30th, 1997
Arritola Mink Ranch
Mount Angel, Oregon
10,000 mink liberated

July 4th, 1997
David Smith Mink Farm
Cle Elum, Washington
4,000 mink liberated
CLOSED

July 8th, 1997
Tom Mohoric Mink Farm
Medina, Ohio
41 mink liberated

July, 1997
Jorney Mink Ranch
Alliance, Ohio
500 mink liberated

September 1st, 1997
Ides Mink Farm
Downers Grove, Illinois
3500 mink liberated
CLOSED

September 2nd, 1997
Adams Fox Farm
Anerson, Indiana
200 fox liberated

October 5th, 1997
Frye Mink Farm
Crystal Lake, Illinois
5,000 mink liberated

October 6th, 1997
Palmer Mink Farm
Preston, Idaho
5,000 mink liberated

October 17th, 1997
Turbak Mink Ranch
Watertown, South Dakota
3,000 mink liberated
CLOSED

October 19th, 1997
Circle K Farm
Sioux City, Iowa
5,000 mink, 100 fox liberated

October 21st, 1997
Fassett Fur Farm
Webster City, Iowa
1 mink liberated

October 24th, 1997
Smeija Fur Farm
Independence, Wisconsin
800 mink liberated

October 24th, 1997
Ott Mink Ranch
Tomohawk, Wisconsin
300 mink liberated

Ocotber 25th, 1997
Jack Dittrich Minkery
Medford, Wisconsin
3,000 mink liberated
CLOSED

November 5th, 1997
Blaine Leffers Fox Farm
Fort Wayne, Indiana
125 fox liberated

November 28th, 1997
Carmel Mink Ranch
Hinsdale, Massachusettes
6 mink liberated
CLOSED

July 3rd, 1998
United Vaccines Research Ranch
Middleton, Wisconsin
310 mink liberated
CLOSED

July 29th, 1998
Fur Breeder’s Agricultural Co-op
Sandy, Utah
6 mink liberated

July 30th, 1998
Fur Breeder’s Agricultural Co-op
Sandy, Utah
2 mink liberated

August 18th, 1998
Mueller fur farm
Kimball, Minnesota
4,000 mink liberated
CLOSED

August 20th, 1998
Hidden Valley Fur Farm
Guttenburg, Iowa
330 foxes liberated
CLOSED.
(the farmer mentions two actions have occurred, only one action is known)

August 21st, 2008
Isebrand Fur Farm
Jewell, Iowa
3,000 mink liberated

August 27th, 1998
Brown Mink Farm
Beloit, Wisconsin
3,000 mink liberated

August 28th, 1998
Zumbro River Fur Farm
Rochester, MN
3000 mink liberated

October 26th, 1998
Pipkorn Inc
Powers, MI
5000 mink liberated

November 26th, 1998
Volo, Illinois
Empty fur farm sabotaged

December 2nd, 1998
Adams Fox Farm
Anderson, Indiana
150 fox liberated

February 13, 1999
Davidson Fur Farm
Annendale, Minnesota
6 fox liberated

February 17th, 1999
Nivison Mink Ranch
Richmond, Utah
9 mink liberated

February 23rd, 1999
Brainerd Fur Farm
Snohomish, Washington
150 mink liberated
CLOSED

August 3rd, 1999
Krieger Fur Farm
Bristol, Wisconsin
3000 mink liberated

August 8th, 1999
Gene Meyer Mink Farm
Plymouth, Wisconsin
2,500 mink liberated
(nearby United Feeds fur feed supplier burned down the same night)
CLOSED

August 14th, 1999
Frank Parsons Mink Ranch
Salisbury, Maryland
20 mink liberated
CLOSED

September 12th, 1999
Calvin Gunnink Fur Farm
Chandler, Minnesota
100 fox liberated

October 1st, 1999
Owl Creek Fox Farm
Montpelier, Indiana
30 fox painted with henna dye

October 25th, 1999
Calvin Gunnink Fur Farm
Chandler, Minnesota
5 lynx liberated

November 13th, 1999
Beckstead Mink Ranch
South Jordan, Utah
Hundreds of mink liberated

Janurary 29th, 2000
Brainerd Fur Farm
Snohomish, Washington
60 mink liberated
CLOSED

June 14th, 2000
Richard Gauthier Fur Farm
Lyndeborough, New Hamsphire
500 mink liberated

September 7th, 2000
Drewelow & Sons Fur Farm
New Hampton, Iowa
14,000 mink liberated

October 1st, 2000
Indiana
30 fox painted with henna

April 19th, 2001
Brainerd’s Fur Farm
Snohomish, Washington
200 mink liberated
CLOSED

October 16th, 2001
Scott Nelson Mink Ranch
Ellsworth, Iowa
2,000 mink liberated
CLOSED

October 20th, 2001
Scott Nelson Mink Ranch
Ellsworth, Iowa
1,600 mink liberated
CLOSED

May, 2002
Minkdek Brothers
Harborcreek, Pennsylvania
200 mink liberated

June, 2002
Lawrence Dana Fox Farm
Erie, Pennsylvania
All foxes liberated, breeding cards taken

August 18th, 2002
Misty Moonlight Mink Ranch
Waverly, Iowa
3,000 mink liberated

September, 2002
Minkdek Brothers
Harborcreek, Pennsylvania
50 minks liberated

September, 2002
Main Mink Ranch
Gerry, New York
Mink liberated and breeding cards taken
CLOSED

November 26th, 2002
Minkdek Brothers
Harborcreek, Pennsylvania
Fur feed storage building burned down

August 25th, 2003
Roessler Brother’s Mink Farm
Sultan, Washington
10,000 mink liberated

April 1st, 2005
Kerry Littig’s fox farm
Bluffs, Illinois
Dozens of fox liberated

August 14th, 2007
Carmel Mink Ranch
Hinsdale, Massachusettes
500 mink liberated
CLOSED

November 6th, 2008
Dale Marr’s Mink Ranch
Deming, Washington
150-200 mink liberated

April 21st, 2008
Jefferson Fur Farm
Jefferson, Oregon
40 mink liberated

August, 2008 (“days before” mink release at McMullin Mink Farm)
Hunter Groves Mink Farm
South Jordan, Utah
114 mink liberated

August 19th, 2008
McMullin Mink Farm
South Jordan, Utah
600 mink liberated

September 8th, 2008
S&N Fur Farm
Scio, Oregon
150-200 mink liberated
REPORTED EMPTY 2009, MAY REOPEN

September 21st, 2008
Lodder’s Mink Farm
Kaysville, Utah
7,000 mink liberated

October 17th, 2008
Ylipelto Fur Farm
Svensen, Oregon
1,500 mink liberated
CLOSED

October 4th, 2009
Ylipelto Fur Farm
Svensen, Oregon
300 mink liberated
CLOSED

November 18th, 2009
Lang’s Mink Farm
Richmond, Minnesota
50 mink liberated

July 13th, 2010
Unnamed mink farm
Franklin, Idaho
30 mink liberated

July 27th, 2010
Ylipelto Fur Farm
Svensen, Oregon
Eight incendiary devices planted, buildings & vehicle burned
CLOSED

September 10th, 2010
Harvey Beck Mink Ranch
Granite Falls, Washington
400 mink liberated

September 24th, 2011
Western Star Fur Farm
Svensen, Oregon
300 mink liberated

October 10th, 2011
Palmer Erickson Mink Farm
Jewell, Iowa
1,200 mink liberated

October 12th, 2011
Miller’s Mink Ranch
Gifford, Washington
1,000 mink liberated.

August 5th, 2012
D & S Fox Farm
Elkton, Virginia
13 foxes liberated

This is the eleventh of 30 articles I will be posting in December on the ALF’s fur farm campaign. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.

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Security Memo #3: Fur Farmers Look Into Lawsuit Against This Site

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In leaked security bulletin, fur farmers told commenting on “disturbing” Frontline article could incite violence, threaten lawsuit.

Part ten in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign.

Two months after anonymous liberators freed over 1,000 mink from his farm, fur farmer Palmer Erickson died of cancer. After decades of murdering hundreds of thousands of mink and fox, activists finally found Palmer Erickson in his final days and delivered a little bit of justice to 5% of the estimated 20,000 mink and fox imprisoned at the farm.

In one of several dozen “security alerts” obtained by Animal Liberation Frontline, the Fur Commission rails against a “disturbing article” on this site in which I cover Erickson’s death. The memo suggests they are looking into filing a lawsuit for criminal or civil offenses unspecified. (The lawsuit never materialized.)

These bulletins are sent to the 400 or so members of the Fur Commission USA, and were not intended for a public audience.

The passing of a fur farmer is especially significant because many (if not most) of their children do not wish to carry on the family business. Over the years, many farms have shut down when the present owner dies. The operational status of the Palmer Erickson fur farm has not been verified since his death. (If you have any information, please send to the site.)

The memo reads, in full:

“Fur Commission USA
January 16, 2012
Erickson Family Targeted in Hate Campaign

If you haven’t heard, longtime fur farmer Palmer Erickson recently passed away after a long illness, in Jewell IA. Last Fall, the Erickson family farm was raided and over 1,100 mink were released. The animal rights extremists are calling that raid, and his passing a victory for the ALF and the animal rights movement.

Appearing on convicted felon Peter Young’s website, is a disturbing article that describes Palmer and his family in horrible terms. Fur Commission USA has been monitoring the site, and in the last few days several people have posted defending the Erickson’s and condemning the hate speech that appears in the comments section.

We urge you not to engage these naive and intolerant individuals. The animal rights extremists that post there do not care about the truth, and will never deliberate logically or compassionately. Attempting to appeal to their humanity is a waste of your precious time. Challenging their world-view only enflames (sic-ed) them, and may motivate them to commit further acts of violence against the industry.

Be assured that Fur Commission USA is addressing the situation, and looking into legal avenues against the website and its contributors.

If you wish to read the posting, though I do not recommend it, it can be found at:  http://www.animalliberationfrontline.com/founder-of-alf-raided-fur-farm-in-iowa-dies/

Our deepest condolences go to the Erickson family for their loss.

Michael Whelan
Fur Commission USA
541-595-8568″

This is the tenth of 30 articles I will be posting in December on the ALF’s fur farm campaign. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.

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Year in fur farm raids, 1998 fur farm newsletter articles

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Read fur farming newsletter covering the peak of the ALF’s fur farm campaign.

Part nine in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign.

The year 1997 saw a record 22 fur farm liberations, a rate of over one action every two weeks. By the fall of 1998, there was no indication that the ALF was losing momentum. During one ten day period in the summer, there were five mink releases.

The fur farming industry was reeling, knowing that if this momentum continued, their entire industry would collapse in a few short years (or less). I believe if they ALF had sustained this pace, and continued to target both farms and suppliers (like feed plants), there would be no US fur industry today.

Fur Farm Letter

In October 1998, the Fur Commission dedicated almost an entire issue of their newsletter to covering this continued assault on their industry. I am posting some excerpts below.

The Fur Farm Letter is a controlled circulation newsletter distributed to the 400 or so members of the Fur Commission USA. As mentioned in previous articles, these newsletters were not intended to be seen by the public. With such a small circulation, fur farmers could reasonably expect that they would never be seen by anyone outside their circle. Fortunately, Animal Liberation Frontline has obtained dozens of issues going back to the late-1990s and will be posting many ALF-related selections over the next month.

1998: The fur industry staring down collapse

With continued intensity of Animal Liberation Front actions, the fear of their industry’s demise is evident in these articles. Some of the things covered in these excerpts:

• A 1998 “incident report” which was distributed to fur farmers, listing every suspicious incident such as strange vehicles seen near farms, and more. (Sound interesting? Animal Liberation Frontline has obtained this too, and will be posting next week.)

“Although there were several sightings of suspicious vehicles, the lack of detail, from license
plates to description of the vehicles and occupants, makes it difficult for law enforcement to effectively
use their limited resources”

• “Airplane surveillance”: Yes, fur farmers actually believe the ALF used small aircraft to surveil farms in advance of raids. As though such elaborate recon were necessary at small backyard operations.
• “Problem oriented policing”: The Fur Commission’s (naive) belief that large non-profit groups are behind the ALF, and how their non-profit status must be “attacked.”
• Encouraging fur farmers to be vigilant:

“It doesn’t mean we all become paranoid and call the police each time a strange car parks nearby. It
means going about our normal business, while getting into the habit of jotting down that car’s
license plate. The driver is probably as innocent as you or I, but what if the same car were spotted
by a farmer in the next state? What if you could compare notes and have FCUSA run a check?
What if? Such is the potential of a neighborhood watch to nip crime in the bud.”

• Celebrating recent arrests and indictments: Including indictments of myself and several activists in Utah.

 

• A list of break-ins and “foiled attempts” for 1998.

 

Fur Farm Letter coverage of ALF activity in 1998

This is the ninth of 30 articles I will be posting in December on the ALF’s fur farm campaign. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.

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Communique: Animal Liberation Front burns down Oregon fur farm

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Read the original ALF communique from the 1991 arson at the Malecky Mink Ranch in Oregon.

Part eight in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign.

While most Animal Liberation Front communiques written in the 2000s are preserved somewhere on the internet, the vast majority that pre-date the internet age are difficult to track down in their entirety. I am posting one communique that has been (mostly) lost to history.

This communique was from one of the ALF actions that was part of Operation Bite Back, a campaign in the early 1990s intended to cripple the US fur industry through the destruction of key research and infrastructure sites. Rod Coronado served 4 years in prison for his role in the campaign. According to the book Operation Bite Back by Dean Kuipers, Rod Coronado participated in this action.

After the ALF burned down the processing building, this fur farm shut down.

The communique reads, in full:

“December 21 1991 – Western Wildlife Cell members of the Animal Liberation Front (A.L.F.) raided Malecky Mink Ranch in Yamhill, Oregon, and set an incendiary device that destroyed the processing plant of this farm near Salem.

Intelligence sources revealed that the fur farm was to be sold, with intentions to continue exploitation of fur animals. Malecky Mink Ranch was a recipient of information form Oregon State University’s Experimental Fur Farm and had developed innovative methods of commercial exploitation of mink for the fur trade.

No mink or humans were injured in the A.L.F.’s fourth action against the United States Fur Farm industry. Flehsing machines, drying drums, skinning racks, feed mixers, freezers, and a workshop were all effectively destroyed in this economic attack against the tools of death and destruction.

This action was taken to avenge the lives of mink murdered on the ranch in the past and to prevent the further imprisonment of native wildlife in the future. 750,000 mink are slaughtered every winter in the Northwest for trade and four million nationwide on over (illegible –ed.) fur farms.

The Animal Liberation Front also announces a new campaign against the fur trade, one that directly targets the insensitive humans who wear fur garments. We will fight the fur-wearers in the streets. No longer shall the ecological arrogance of the public supporters of the fur trade go unchallenged. A.L.F. members shall arm themselves with battery acid and dye, and will inflict damage on the furs worn by humans. Fur is for four-leggeds, not two. The lives of fur animals will be avenged.

The fur industry is responsible for the demise of not only native north american wildlife, but the destruction of Native peoples’ cultures as well. Over the last four hundred years this barbaric industry has waged a genocidal war against animals and humans. Through the introduction of social and physical disease, the fur trade has forced native people to participate in their bloody practice, or perish like so many animals in traps and cages.

It is time to eliminate this anthropocentric profit-centered beast before the last howl is heard. A.L.F. calls on all peoples to join in the battle against this ecologically destructive regime, and to defend the defenseless from the oppression of our own species. We must destroy that which destroys the animals, earth, and ourselves.

On behalf of the mink, fox, bobcat, lynx, and coyote nations. A.L.F. shall wage non-violent war against the fur trade. Until the last fur farm is burned to the ground.

Animal Liberation Front, Western Wildlife Cell”

This is the eighth of 30 articles I will be posting in December on the ALF’s fur farm campaign. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.

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Another past ALF target confirmed closed

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Part seven in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign.

Yesterday I reported on the closure of the Charles Ide mink farm just one month after 3,500 mink were released there by the ALF.

Today, more good news: According to Coalition Against Fur Farms, the Tom Mohoric Mink Farm in Medina, Ohio has also been confirmed closed.

The farm was the site of a mink liberation in 1997, when 41 mink were released by the Animal Liberation Front. (There is no evidence to suggest the release played a role in the closure.)

It was small as mink releases go, but not small to each of the 41 animals.

The farm in question is:

Tom Mohoric Mink Farm, Medina, OH

Date of action: July 8th, 1997

Animals released: 41 mink

This is the seventh of 30 articles I will be posting in December on the ALF’s fur farm campaign. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.

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New Report Indicates ALF Shut Down Illinois Mink Farm

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New information shows Illinois fur farm shut down one month after a 1997 ALF raid.

Part six in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign.

The site Coalition Against Fur Farms is reporting that a mink farm closed down one month after the release of 3,500 mink by the Animal Liberation Front. This is the first time this has been reported, and the timing strongly indicates the ALF effectively shut down this farm.

The original source was fur trade publication Sandy Parker Reports, which reported that Charles K. Ide (Downers Grove, IL) died in October, and “…he pelted out in 1997 and retired.”

“Pelted out” refers to the killing every animal on a farm and shutting it down.

 

Many ALF-targeted farms have shut down. However in the majority of these cases, there is no evidence that the Animal Liberation Front played a direct role in the closure.

However the Charles Ide farm closure is interesting in that it closed the month after a large ALF raid (3,5000 mink released). The timing is fairly strong evidence that the ALF shut down this fur farm. If accurate, this is further evidence of how fragile individual mink operations are, and how susceptible they are to going out of business from a single ALF action.

New resource on fur farm intel

I took this report from the new(ish) Coalition Against Fur Farms site, that has become the authoritative resource on tracking the fur industry. This site has left the fur industry scratching it’s head as to where they’ve gotten so much info, as seen in this security memo sent out by the Fur Commission over the summer.

Coalition Against Fur Farms re-launched earlier this year, with a new mission statement that lays out their goals: Mapping the fur industry, identifying weak links, tracking changes in fur farming (closed farms, etc), and broadcasting documents from whistleblowers.

2010 report from anonymous tipster

In 2010, I reported on a message from an anonymous tipster, who gave a self-guided tour of the Charles Ide fur farm and found it to be closed. The fur farm is now a Christmas tree farm, allowing the investigator to wander the property freely while “Christmas tree shopping.” View more photos of the closed farm here.

Very little follow up is done on past ALF targets, to give a better sense of the long-term effects these actions have. As information has come to me, I have posted updates on several past Animal Liberation Front targets that have been confirmed closed.

The farm in question is:

Ides Mink Farm, Downers Grove, IL

Date of action: September 1st, 1997

Animals released: 3,500 mink

This is the sixth of 30 articles I will be posting in December on the ALF’s fur farm campaign. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.

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In Poll, Fur Farmers Name “Animal Rights Movement” as Biggest Threat

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Part five in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign

A poll in the fur industry newsletter Fur Farm Letter placed “the animal rights movement” as the biggest problem facing the North American fur farming industry.

From reading fur industry newsletters and documents, the two things the fur industry fears most from the animal rights movement are:

1) Laws that regulate the production and sale of fur, and-

2) The Animal Liberation Front.

The animal rights movement and the ALF were ranked a greater threat than increasing feed costs (number two), fur farming in Europe, and disease outbreaks.

 

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Security Memo #2: Unreported Fur Farm Raid Attempt in Idaho

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“Attempted break-in” at an Idaho mink farm revealed in private security memo.

Part four in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign.

This “security alert” was distributed to mink farmers nationwide in March of this year. It covers what the Fur Commission describes as an “attempted break-in” at a mink farm in southern Idaho. This (attempted) action was previously unreported. No animals were released.

Franklin, Idaho is home to at least five active mink farms, and several others that are unconfirmed.

Animal Liberation Frontline has obtained dozens of these bulletins, which are sent by the Fur Commission out to alert fur farmers to specific security threats. I will be posting many additional bulletins over the next 30 days.

I have redacted information on the vehicle spotted near the attempted break-in so as to not publish anything possibly identifying.

Fur Commission USA
Security Alert
Idaho, Utah
March 16, 2012

Wednesday night there was an attempted break-in at a mink farm in Franklin ID. The perpetrators were unable to release any animals.

In Hyrum UT last night, trespassers were detected at a feed packing plant. It is unknown if the two incidents are related.

Two individuals, traveling in a [REDACTED] car were seen near the feed plant. We will keep you informed as more information becomes available.

Animal rights activists may be protesting the Rocky Mountain Professional Rodeo Association event in Ogden UT this weekend, so please report any suspicious activity near your ranch, and take appropriate security precautions over the next several days.

Thank you,

Distributed by
Michael Whelan
Fur Commission USA”

This is the fourth of 30 articles I will be posting in December on the ALF’s fur farm campaign. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.

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Fur Farm Magazine Article: “How to Manage Threats”

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Read an article from The Fur Farm Letter on dealing with “threats” from animal rights activists.

Part three in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign

For decades, a magazine called Fur Rancher was the only publication written specifically for fur farmers. When it ceased publishing in 2003, the Fur Commission launched The Fur Farm Letter, which continues to publish to this day. It has a very limited circulation, and is distributed only to the 400 or so members of the Fur Commission USA.

Animal Liberation Frontline has obtained dozens of issues of the newsletter, and I will be posting some choice excerpts over the next month as part of the 30-day series on the ALF’s fur farm campaign.

A lot of space in The Fur Farm Letter is given to the animal rights movement, from celebrating arrests of activists to securing fur farms and promoting anti-ALF legislation. Much of the material is outright comical, such as this article on “managing threats.”

One thing should be clear from everything I’ve posted from within the fur industry: Fur farmers are completely, hopelessly out of touch. (This article actually gives space to dealing with “threatening text messages.”)

This article is less insightful than it is humorous, so enjoy a glimpse into how fur farmers talk about the animal liberation movement when they think no one else is watching.

Managing threats from animal rights activists – guide for fur farmers

This is the third of 30 articles I will be posting in December on the ALF’s fur farm campaign. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.

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Document gives look inside fur farmer’s “Neighborhood Watch” program

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Internal Fur Commission USA document details the anatomy of their “neighborhood watch program.”

Part two in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign

In a poll, fur farmers ranked the animal rights movement as the single largest threat to their business. This is reflected in the priorities of their trade group, the Fur Commission USA.

Last year, the Fur Commission restructured and changed its function. It dropped its public relations focus (a tacit admission that they will never win on the public opinion front), and shifted focus to “farm security.” The only way to read this is that fur farmers consider the Animal Liberation Front to be the biggest threat to their industry.

“The Neighborhood Watch” program

An internal flier obtained by Animal Liberation Frontline details one component of the Fur Commission’s new “farm security” focus. The flier breaks down their “neighborhood watch” program, aimed “at securing the US mink farming industry.”

Fur Commission USA Neighborhood Watch flier

According the flier, the program has these components:

NETWATCH email list
This list includes frequent “security bulletins”, many of which I have been provided and will be posted here over the next month.
“Netwatch is an email listserve which distributes articles, security alerts and key information on conflict campaigns and eco-terrorism incidents (4-6 items daily). The list of recipients includes law enforcement, intelligence analysts, trade associations, media, and policy makers in several countries.”

FAX/EMAIL: Fur Farm Security List
“FCUSA runs a fax/email list for distributing occasional security alerts to its farmers.”

DATABASE: Database and Annual Actions Report
Here, the Fur Commission admits to compiling dossiers on animal rights activists. The database purports to include “selected articles and documents going back several decades.” In addition the Fur Commission boasts that “profiles and reports can be generated on individuals, organizations.” And an “Actions Report” of several reports is distributed annually on disk.

SPECIAL REPORTS: Red Flag Reports
“Red Flag Reports analyze the finances of organizations which have expressed support for eco-terrorism, and/or have employees with records for being arrested. These reports are useful in understanding the structure supporting coordinated crime sprees. All information is compiled from public sources.”

WEB RESOURCES: Private Section
This is the the password protected section of the Fur Commission site, “designed for quick use by law enforcement, media, and policy makers.” It includes “eco-terrorism and anarchy libraries, particularly relating to the Animal and Earth Liberation Fronts”, “analytical reports on eco-terrorism”, an “extensive Unabomber section and writings by and about convicted eco-terrorists”, “eco-terrorism prisoners’ lists”, and tips on fur farm security.

This is the second of 30 articles I will be posting in December on the ALF’s fur farm campaign. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.

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After Six Years, ALF/ELF Fugitive Rebecca Rubin Turns Herself In

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Rubin expected to plead guilty to all but the most serious of her charges. 

This has been all over the news the last two days, so I’m just going to focus on two things here: The basics, and the parts of this story so far that might have been easy to miss.

The surrender
Rebecca Rubin turned herself in to US authorities this week after six years on the run (the media has erroneously reported she has been a fugitive for 10 years). She was one of three remaining fugitives in the Operation Backfire case, in which 14 people were charged with a massive ALF / ELF arson campaign over a five year period.

The charges
Rubin is charged with two ALF actions and two ELF actions. The ALF actions are the Nov. 30, 1997, arson at the U.S. Bureau of Land Management Wild Horse and Burro Facility near Burns, Oregon and setting a fire at the BLM Litch­field Wild Horse and Burro Corrals near Susanville, Calif in 2001. The ELF actions are the arson at a ski lodge in Vail, Colorado in 1998, and the Dec. 22, 1998, attempted arson at the offices of U.S. Forest Industries Inc. in Medford.

Three years in the works
According to her attorney, Rubin has been attempting to negotiate surrender since 2009, pending the prosecutors in every jurisdiction agreeing to a plea deal. One jurisdiction was said to have “balked” at any talk of negotiations, which delayed Rubin’s surrender for three years.

Not assisting the government
She is said to not be assisting the government in locating the last two fugitives in the case: Joseph Dibee and Josephine Sunshine Overaker.

Guilty plea expected in all but the most serious charges
In advance of her surrender, she reportedly arranged a plea deal in which she will plead guilty to all but the most serious of charges against her. She will not be pleading guilty to use of a destructive device, which carries a mandatory minimum of 30 years in prison.

I don’t need to say that life as a fugitive can run a wide spectrum, but it is never easy, and she still has a hard road ahead. To send a letter of support, as of December 2nd, she can be written at:

Rebecca Rubin 98290-011
FDC SEATAC
FEDERAL DETENTION CENTER
P.O. BOX 13900
SEATTLE, WA  98198

 

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Leaked Security Memo #1: How Two Fur Farm Raiders Were Caught

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Read internal Fur Commission security bulletin sent hours after two arrests at an Iowa fur farm.

Part one in a thirty-article series this month on the ALF’s fur farm campaign.

Animal Liberation Frontline has obtained dozens of security bulletins from the Fur Commission USA, sent out to alert fur farmers to specific security threats. This is the first of many such bulletins I will posting over the next 30 days.

This alert was sent to farmers the day after the arrest of Kellie Marshall and Victor VanOrden at the Circle K fur farm in Sioux City, Iowa. From what I’ve been told (legally, I am not allowed to speak to either of them directly), Victor and Kellie never knew exactly how they were detected at the fur farm that night. This bulletin tells the story.

According to the bulletin, the pair unknowingly tripped alarms at the farm that night. Police were subsequently called and made the arrests.

Both served less than four months and have been released.

Having visited many fur farms, the few alarms I’ve seen take the form of  (silent) photoelectric sensors which are tripped when they detect motion. They are noticeable as small boxes most often placed in the corner of (usually larger) fur farms. They can be easy to miss for anyone not looking for them, and this bulletin shows that is likely what led to Victor and Kellie’s arrest that night.

Another detail revealed in the bulletin is that after cutting holes in the fence, the pair (allegedly) made it as far as opening a single cage. Media reports on whether any animals had been released were conflicting.

5,000 mink and 100 foxes were released from this farm in 1997.

The bulletin reads, in full:

“Suspects Captured in Iowa

Last night around 1:30 AM, Steve Krege’s alarms were triggered on his mink farm in Sioux City IA. When he went out to inspect he discovered a silver Toyota truck backed up to his gate on the far side of the farm. He immediately secured the vehicle and called the police, who set up a perimeter and with the aide of K-9 units, captured two would-be farm attackers.

The truck contained masks, burglary tools, a police scanner, walkie-talkies and other items. There were approximately a dozen holes cut in the fence and one cage had been opened.

At this time the suspects are being held in Sioux City Jail and each has been charged with two felony burglary counts. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for this morning. I have been in touch with Sioux City PD, Iowa FBI and the Iowa Dept of Criminal Investigations, and I will send out new information as it becomes available.

After the Palmer farm attack on Thursday, and after receiving the Fur Commission Security Alert for the Upper Midwest, Steve had made sure his security systems were up-to-date and operative. His hard work and attention to detail may have prevented many more farm attacks from occurring. Congratulations go out to Steve Krege for his alert and decisive actions, and for his efforts in making our industry safer.

Distributed by

Michael Whelan

Fur Commission USA

541-585-8568″

This is the first of 30 articles I will be posting in December on the ALF’s fur farm campaign. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.

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Announcing 30 Days of Coverage on the ALF’s Fur Farm Campaign

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Thirty articles in thirty days on the ALF’s war against the fur industry.

We are in the middle of what the fur industry calls “the pelting season”, the time from late-November to early-December when over 2 million animals on fur farms across the US are killed.

To honor them, I will be dedicating the month of December to posting 30 articles in 30 days on the ALF’s work to free them.

Internal “security bulletins”, more

One mission of this site is to function in part as a sort of “animal rights Wikileaks”. Since launching, I’ve been (often anonymously) leaked some very interesting documents – much of it related to the Animal Liberation Front’s campaign against the fur industry. Some of it has come from other activists, while some comes anonymously with no identifiable source.

And a lot of it I have never posted. Some of the more salient documents I’ve saved for this month.

Among them, over a dozen “security bulletins” sent to fur farmers by the Fur Commission USA. These bulletins are issued to alert farmers to specific ALF & security-related threats, including suspicious activity at fur farms, unreported raids, and more. They have been obtained by Animal Liberation Frontline, and were never meant to be seen outside of the fur industry.

More articles…

In addition to the security bulletins, I will be posting a ton of additional new material, including internal fur industry documents specifically about the Animal Liberation Front.

Throughout the 30 days I will also include numerous “blast from the past” posts, including old ALF communiques not available on the internet, “how it was done” articles by participants in past fur farm raids, and more.

That’s just a sampling. It all starts December 1st. Sign up for the email list to get every update sent to your inbox, or check back daily.

 

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Warcry Communications Gift Set Available

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Quick note if you don’t own these books yet: Warcry Communications (publishing arm of this site) is offering a complete set of our in-print titles for $79.95 with free shipping.

Order here.

This offer will probably go away altogether after Christmas, and if you don’t own these books yet this would be a good time to jump on it. (If you’re doing the math, that’s $26 off all five books, or a 25% discount.)

Included in the set:

Underground: The Animal Liberation Front in the 1990s.

Vegan Nation by Rick Bogle.

Animal Liberation Front: Complete Diary of Actions, the First 30 Years.

Flaming Arrows: Collected Writings of Rod Coronado.

From Dusk ’til Dawn by Keith Mann.

$79.95 with free shipping.

Order at the Warcry site.

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