Mink Farm Raid : Terrorists on Road Trip Attack Another Farm

(Oct. 23 update: One week after the attack on Ylipelto's Fur Farm, most of the abandoned mink are safely back in their pens. About 300 are still missing, and 100 have been found dead. The Ylipelto family wish to thank all the kind neighbors who helped return the mink to the safety of the farm, and also law enforcement for being so responsive.)

Astoria, Oregon: Before dawn on Friday, Oct. 17, criminals broke into Ylipelto's Fur Farm and opened about 1,500 mink pens, pulling some off their stands and tossing them about. The farmer discovered the mess when he went to give his herd their early morning feeding.

Astoria, where the farm is located, is the oldest American settlement west of the Rockies. It was once known as Fort Astoria, and served as the Pacific Fur Company's primary fur trading post in the Northwest.

"About half the mink never left their pens and many were simply sitting on top of the pens," reported Mrs. Ylipelto, the farmer's wife. "About 100 were clustered in a wood shavings pile. They went to what they knew, the material used for their bedding."

By 10:30 a.m., most were sleeping comfortably and the farmer was simply picking up the stragglers.

By Sunday afternoon, about 400 were still missing and the farmer had been contacted by about 35 neighbors with loose mink, mostly near garages or other buildings where they feel familiar. As a direct result of the release, there have been at least 35 casualties, many killed by large dogs.

Mrs. Ylipelto stated that, "Releasing animals which are bred in captivity and are used to being pampered, fed and cared for, it's the same thing as taking people out of their Manhattan apartments and putting them out in the boondocks to try to survive. It's the exact same thing."

Extremists have been active in Western states and British Columbia this year hitting numerous targets, including researchers, farmers, seafood suppliers and energy pipelines. A suspicious fire at a dairy hay barn in Utah and incendiaries left at the homes of researchers in California are some of the open cases under investigation.

U.S. mink farms that have been vandalized this year, with number of pens opened, are:

Apr. 21: Jefferson, Oregon, 53
Aug. 19: South Jordan, Utah, 800
Sept. 4: Scio, Oregon, 215
Sept. 21: Kaysville, UT 6,000
Oct. 17: Astoria, Oregon, 1,000

Anyone finding a lost mink should contact Teresa Platt, Fur Commission USA, 619-575-0139. A farmer will be dispatched to recover the animal.

Fur Commission USA is offering a reward of up to $100,000 for information leading to a conviction. Anyone with information about the crime should contact their local law enforcement or the Portland FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force at 503-224-4181.

See also:

Oct. 20, 2008: Hefty reward offered in mink-release cases. The Oregonian. (Outside link)

FCUSA press kit Special Feature: Safe Farms Campaign.

Recommended reading:

Plastic bags on our backs. FCUSA commentary. (Mar. 14, 2008)

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) 272-2467/fax, furfarmers@aol.com, www.furcommission.com. See also Teresa's blog and Facebook.

To take a cyber-tour of a fur farm, visit FCUSA's Fur on Film.

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