From Animal Liberation Frontline
Damage estimate and new info about last week’s fox liberation in Virginia.
One source apparently close to the farm’s owner is reporting damages from last week’s Virginia fox farm raid at $25,000 to $30,000. In addition to liberating 13 foxes, the Animal Liberation Front stated they also “damaged machinery” at the farm.
Although mainstream media has yet to pick up the story, there is other information Animal Liberation Frontline has learned about the fox liberation:
Owner Scott Dean is a trapper and member of the Virginia State Trapper’s Association (VTA), National Trappers Association (NTA), and Fur Takers of America (FTA).
In addition to the fox farm, Dean also owns “D&S Nuisance Animal Control” out of the same address. His website describes the company as providing the following services: “animal capture, animal removal, animal control, animal trapping, animal exclusion, animal damage repairs, animal waste cleanup, and more.”
Among the “nuisance” animals Dean will capture are foxes. This raises the question: Rather than “humanely” euthanizing the foxes other people pay him to capture (as he promises on his site), does he instead sell them for fur?
If so, this is almost certainly in violation of his National Wildlife Control Operators Association membership at best, and against the law at worst. Dean’s business live-trapping wildlife on other people’s property would provide him a steady stream of animals that aren’t just free – other people are paying him to take them. While we can’t know for certain, Dean’s dual work as a fur farmer and “wildlife pest removal” provider would seem to pose an inherent conflict of interest.
I will post any new information on the raid as it is available.