Carl Salo of Astoria, Oregon died in 2023. Now the fur farm that he owned, Western Star Fur Farm, is empty and for sale.
300 mink were liberated from Western Star in 2011.
Astoria was once the largest mink farming town in Oregon. Five mink farms were active in 2010. The Ylipelto Mink Farm in Astoria was visited three times by the ALF and forced into closure. When that farm closed, the Clatsop County Sheriff said: “They had all kinds of incidents out there.” “They got rid of all their minks because they had been released twice. There’s been all kinds of crazy stuff. They are an older couple. They said, ‘We’re tired, we’re done.”
Fur Commission USA’s $100,000 reward for the capture of the ALF cells in the Pacific Northwest responsible for six actions and the release of over 2300 mink proved worthless. No one was arrested.
Only a handful of fur farms remain in operation in the state of Oregon, down from 18 in 2007.
For a full updated list of all American fur farms, click HERE!