Anyone with information on the following crime should contact Bremer County Sheriff Dewey Hildebrandt at (319) 352-5400. Anyone finding a lost mink, call Fur Commission USA at (619) 575-0139 and we'll have someone come out and collect it. For more information contact: Larry Holmquist, Omaha, Nebraska FBI (402) 493-8688; or Scott Jennings or Jim Bogner, Cedar Rapids, Iowa FBI (319) 366-2461.

Small Iowa Mink Farmer Takes
Big Hit from Eco-terrorists

(See also: A Thank You Letter to the People of Iowa from the Demuth Family)

WAVERLY, IOWA: In a continuing effort to force farmers off their farms, eco-terrorists broke into a small family farm early Sunday morning and opened the pens for about 1,200 animals. Guilt was claimed later the same day by the Animal Liberation Front in a press release issued by the North American ALF Press Office.

The Nick Demuth Mink Ranch has raised mink for over 30 years and owner Nick Demuth stated the family is "devastated by this vicious attempt to destroy our business. As American farmers, we feel that the safety of our family farm has been violated."

"We are tired of self-righteous individuals terrorizing our industry," added Demuth, asking "only to be allowed to conduct our business free from terror. In a tragedy such as this, the animals lose and we lose."

Over 75 neighbors came from as far as 15 to 20 miles to help round up the mink and, by the end of the day, almost half of the domesticated animals had been recovered and returned to the safety of the farm.

Please be kind. If you find a lost mink, recognize that it is starving and thirsty but be cautious since mink can bite! Call Fur Commission USA at (619) 575-0139 and we'll have someone come out and collect it. Anyone with information on the crime should contact Bremer County Sheriff Dewey Hildebrandt at (319) 352-5400.

Demuth explained that farm-raised animals do not have the ability to fend for themselves and that the abandoned mink will most certainly die from hunger and thirst. "We've never done anything to hurt anyone," said Demuth, "and can't imagine anyone wanting to hurt us. We are hard-working taxpayers who would hope people would respect our right to earn a living."

Also helping the Demuth family recover their mink was New Hampton mink farmer Len Drewelow whose farm survived an eco-terrorist attack on September 9, 2000 when over 14,000 of his mink were released and abandoned.

"Over 10,000 of our mink were hit by cars, ripped to pieces by dogs or perished in the heat," stated Drewelow.

In October of 2001, eco-terrorists hit a small farm in Ellsworth, Iowa, traumatizing the farm-raised mink by releasing thousands of them twice within one week.

The Animal Liberation Front admitted guilt for both the New Hampton and Ellsworth attacks by bragging about the crimes in press releases. No one was ever caught but Iowa did move to improve its eco-terrorism laws in 2001. Additionally, the federal Animal Enterprise Protection Act was strengthened this year.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture's National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), 105,900 mink pelts were produced on 13 Iowa farms during 2001, valued at $3.5 million at the wholesale level. Iowa mink farmers are expected to produce about 126,000 pelts in 2002 for a projected wholesale value of $4.2 million. Total U.S. mink pelt production in 2001 was 2.56 million mink valued at $85.9 million.

Resources:

Anti-Terrorism Act Boosts Penalties for Animal Rights Violence FCUSA press release, June 12, 2002.

FBI Testifies to House Eco-terror Hearing Federal Bureau of Investigation statement, Feb. 12, 2002.

For more information on U.S. mink production see the latest NASS report (HTML or PDF format) and US Fur Farms Continuue Consolidation, FCUSA press release, July 20, 2002.

FCUSA Press Kit Special Feature: Safe Farms Campaign

Thanks to the continuing efforts of Iowans, the Demuth family farm was successful in collecting more animals today. Over 75 good neighbors helped recover the mink that were released from their pens and abandoned by eco-terrorists of the Animal Liberation Front.

Local television stations filmed the massive recovery process as adults and children used nets to collect the mink and professional trappers set live traps around the perimeter of the farm.

The weather cooperated and remained comfortable, extending the time that the farm-raised mink can survive away from the farm.

But the farm family and their neighbors are working against an enemy that is heat and time.

In the next 24 hours, mink will start to cannibalize themselves, eating their own tails off rather than starve to death.(1) They will drown as they attempt to drink from rivers since they've never received water from a running source before and are not used to swimming.(2) Dogs and the roads will continue to take a cruel toll.

The Demuth family send their thanks to the people of Bremer County, Iowa for all their wonderful assistance. Mrs. Becky Demuth praised farmers, trappers and neighbors who took time off from their jobs to help, calling them "million dollar men!"

Mrs. Demuth summed it up beautifully when she opened her farmhouse door to another "helper", a ten-year-old boy with his own net in hand. "This is real Iowa," she said, "where we help each other."

(1) See Two Weeks After ALF Attack, Thousands of Mink Dead or Dying FCUSA press release, Sept. 22, 2000.

(2) Listen to a National Public Radio program on a mink farm attack, Nov. 1, 1998; RealPlayer required.

What you can do to help:

The National Animal Interest Alliance wants to stop animal rights / eco-terrorism. Endorse its Call to Action (HTML or PDF).

A Thank You Letter to the People of Iowa from the Demuth Family

There are not enough words to say what is in our hearts today. We had 1237 mink released during the night this past Sunday as we slept in our beds on our property. These previously well-cared-for mink were thoughtlessly released to an environment of which they know nothing. Hence they will die for lack of food and water.

In these sad and tragic times, we have had reinforced for us how truly blessed we are to live where we do.

Iowans are truly helpers to those in need. Their acts of kindness these past few days, and in the hard tough days to come, will always be in our minds.

Total strangers, as well as relatives, friends, neighbors and fellow mink ranchers, have reaffirmed our faith in our fellow men and women.

God Bless you all.

Nick, Becky, Chris, Sara, Laura, Charlie and Tim Demuth
Nick Demuth Mink Ranch
Waverly, Iowa

For further information contact: Teresa Platt, Executive Director, Fur Commission USA, PMB 506, 826 Orange Avenue, Coronado, CA 92118-2698 USA, (619) 575-0139, (619) 575-5578/fax, furfarmers@aol.com, www.furcommission.com.

To take a cyber-tour of a fur farm, visit Fur Commission USA's Fur on Film at http://www.furcommission.com/video/index.htm

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