{"id":15061,"date":"2024-10-20T09:29:46","date_gmt":"2024-10-20T17:29:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/?p=15061"},"modified":"2024-10-30T09:33:11","modified_gmt":"2024-10-30T17:33:11","slug":"release-of-700-mink-from-central-pa-fur-farm-called-a-domestic-terroristic-act","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/2024\/10\/20\/release-of-700-mink-from-central-pa-fur-farm-called-a-domestic-terroristic-act\/","title":{"rendered":"Release of 700 mink from central Pa. fur farm called a domestic terroristic act"},"content":{"rendered":"
By John Beauge | Special to PennLive<\/a><\/div>\n
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SUNBURY \u2014 \u201dPure and simple it was a terroristic attack\u201d is how the executive director of the Fur Commission USA describes the release of 700 mink from their cages at a Northumberland County farm.<\/div>\n
Because of a perimeter fence, few if any of the mink released early Saturday morning on the Richard H. Stahl Son\u2019s Inc. farm escaped, said Challis Hobbs.<\/div>\n
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Because security cameras were installed following a similar incident in September 2023 when hundreds of mink were released from the farm, police were notified immediately, he said.<\/div>\n
Christopher Legere, 25, and Cara Mitrano, 27, both from Massachusetts,\u00a0were arrested a short time later<\/a>\u00a0on state police charges.<\/div>\n
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The FBI is involved in the investigation because of possible violations of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act, Hobbs said. Under that act, anyone who engages in conduct aimed at damaging or interfering with an animal enterprise is legally considered a domestic terrorist, he said.<\/div>\n
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State police charged Legere and Mitrano, who are in the Northumberland County Jail, with agriculture vandalism, criminal mischief, theft, cruelty to animals, burglary and criminal trespass.<\/div>\n
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The Fur Commission worked with Michael Stahl on getting the cameras installed on the farm and it paid off, Hobbs said. Fur farmers around the country are implementing security measures, he said.<\/div>\n
Making arrests as the result of having cameras is a win for the industry, he said.<\/div>\n
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Troopers from Stonington responded at 12:53 a.m. after receiving a report two individuals were caught on camera releasing minks from a farm along Route 890 in Rockefeller Twp. District Attorney Michael C. O\u2019Donnell did not want to speculate on whether this incident was related to the\u00a02023 incident in which hundreds of released mink<\/a>\u00a0died or were killed. No one has been charged with that incident.<\/div>\n
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The release of farmed mink is a direct act of animal cruelty as most that are not rescued die within 24 to 48 hours from starvation, predation or accidents like being hit by vehicles, Hobbs said.\u00a0The commission disputes the claim of North American Animal Liberation press officer Joseph Buddenberg that mink farming is cruel and violent, he said.\u00a0Buddenberg points out that the mink are kept in small wire cages and killed for their fur. It is something that \u201cwill be stopped,\u201d he said.<\/div>\n
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The Stahl farm participates in a rigorous certification program administered by Fur Commission USA, Hobbs said.\u00a0Mink farms undergo third-party inspections to ensure compliance with animal welfare standards, he explained.<\/div>\n
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Although the press office has not received an anonymous message taking credit for Saturday\u2019s incident at the Stahl farm as it did in 2023, it appears activists liberated the mink, Buddenberg said.\u00a0The incident is consistent with actions by the Animal Liberation Front, his news release states. It adds: \u201cThe suspects arrested in this case were just innocent bystanders arrested by a desperate police force embarrassed by their inability to find those responsible for the previous liberation in 2023.\u201d<\/div>\n
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Buddenberg, who spent two years in federal prison for releasing mink from fur farms, seeks support on his Facebook page for Legere and Mitrano claiming \u201cfur farmers are the real criminals.\u201d<\/div>\n
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The state Game Commission says it is aware of the incident and local residents who come across a live mink on their property can call the commission at 1-833-PGC-WILD (833-742-9453) to report its whereabouts.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By John Beauge | Special to PennLive SUNBURY \u2014 \u201dPure and simple it was a terroristic attack\u201d is how the executive director of the Fur Commission USA describes the release of 700 mink from their cages at a Northumberland County farm. Because of a perimeter fence, few if any of the mink released early Saturday … <\/p>\n

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