Thousands of Mink Freed in Overnight Farm Intrusion
Early Tuesday morning, a mink farm located near Woodbine, Iowa, suffered a serious security breach when unidentified individuals cut through fencing and damaged enclosures, allowing roughly 2,000 mink to escape. The Fur Commission USA, representing the U.S. fur industry, condemned the act, describing it as a “terrorist attack” under the federal Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA), which penalizes actions aimed at disrupting animal-related businesses.
Efforts to Capture Escaped Animals Intensify
Farm operators reported that more than half of the animals have been recovered so far, but a significant number remain at large. Officials cautioned that the surviving mink face harsh conditions without access to shelter or proper nutrition, and some may pose risks to local wildlife, including ducks and geese. Challis Hobbs, executive director of Fur Commission USA, stressed that while the perpetrators may intend to protest the industry, the released mink are at severe risk.
Debate Over Ethics and Industry Practices Continues
Animal welfare advocates, including the Animal Legal Defense Fund, criticized fur farming practices as cruel and unsafe, while calling for the industry to be phased out. The U.S. mink sector has been shrinking in recent years, with more than 770,000 pelts produced in 2024. The break-in has reignited conversations about animal welfare, ethical farming, and the tactics employed by activists seeking to highlight concerns within the fur industry.
