Received anonymously:
October 14th: Not even so much as a fence surrounded the barn at Aeschleman Fur Company (1574 County Road 1600 E
Roanoke, IL 61561), from which we could already hear the foxes cries of distress. Could they sense we were there? Smell us perhaps, or hear us digging feverishly under the barn’s wall? Or maybe they just cried out every night, hoping someone would help them escape this hell they did nothing to deserve.
We hear you!
We are coming!
Finally we had made a hole big enough to slide under the wall and into the barn. It was large with hundreds of cages, but whole rows were empty. Had this fur profiteer fallen on hard times, or had they already murdered most of their prisoners by now, late October? We hoped for the former, but the remaining captives were all that mattered now. We set to work making sure they would have more than just one way out. The barn’s big sliding door wouldn’t budge, but luckily it was made of pliable sheet metal that we were able to bend outward just enough to make a fox-sized hole. On the other end, seeing that the front door had no alarm, we simply opened it and let in the cool night air.
When we at last approached the first cage, the fox inside reacted aggressively, snarling and biting at our wire-cutters. Were we in your position we would no doubt do the same, but tonight you will learn that not all humans are animal-abusing scum. We opened the cage and the aggression quickly turned to curiosity. We opened the next, and the next…until every last one of the 80 or so foxes was free.
Some of the cages were fastened shut and required cutting, others had a simple latch. Some of the foxes mad noise at first, but once the cage door was open, they all exhibited a silent curiosity. What is happening? Do I dare to jump out? Where do I go after that? As more cages were opened, we noticed foxes scurrying around the barn. After opening the last of the cages, we ourselves made our way out. There in the field behind the barn, a lone beautiful white fox ran around us in an almost playful manner. She lingered and watched us as if to say thank you; truly astonishing behavior from one who had only ever known imprisonment and abuse. A magical moment that we dared not stop to appreciate. You don’t need to thank us, seeing you leave this horrible place is all the thanks we need. Now is the time to run!
We, the Animal Liberation Front, have promised the foxes and mink of this world for decades now that we would destroy this vile industry. We are far, far behind schedule, and yet it is so close to collapse. We have allowed it to teeter on the edge of the cliff for years, almost as if we are daring it to back away and return to what it was 30 years ago; a golden age of fur that countless activists fought so hard to end. Dear reader, is that something you want to see happen?
Because if not, know that you are the final piece we need to push this despicable industry off the cliff for good. Your inaction only serves the fur farmers. They are counting on it.
Make them count empty cages instead.