{"id":15630,"date":"2025-07-09T08:55:36","date_gmt":"2025-07-09T16:55:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/?p=15630"},"modified":"2025-07-24T09:02:11","modified_gmt":"2025-07-24T17:02:11","slug":"domestic-terrorism-mink-farmer-upset-after-2000-animals-released-from-his-stark-farm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/2025\/07\/09\/domestic-terrorism-mink-farmer-upset-after-2000-animals-released-from-his-stark-farm\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;Domestic terrorism.&#8217; Mink farmer upset after 2,000 animals released from his Stark farm"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a class=\"gnt_ar_by_a gnt_ar_by_a__fi\" href=\"https:\/\/www.indeonline.com\/staff\/3468110001\/steven-m-grazier\/\" data-t-l=\":byline with photo|o|c|text\">Steven M. Grazier<\/a><br \/>\nMassillon Independent<\/p>\n<p>Key Points<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The owner of Tonn&#8217;s Mink Farm said about 600 of nearly 2,000 released animals remain missing.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul class=\"gnt_sh\">\n<li class=\"gnt_sh_li\">Dennis Tonn said a trespasser came on his business property and cut fencing to release the animals.<\/li>\n<li class=\"gnt_sh_li\">Tonn said he called the Stark County Sheriff&#8217;s Office and FBI to investigate the incident.\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\"><a href=\"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2025_Ohio.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-15631\" src=\"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2025_Ohio-300x241.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"241\" srcset=\"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2025_Ohio-300x241.jpg 300w, https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2025_Ohio-768x617.jpg 768w, https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/2025_Ohio.jpg 822w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/a>TUSCARAWAS TWP. \u2013 The owner of a western Stark County mink farm said\u00a0<a class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cantonrep.com\/story\/news\/local\/massillon\/2025\/07\/03\/stark-deputies-respond-to-mass-mink-release-at-massillon-area-farm\/84467297007\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/www.cantonrep.com\/story\/news\/local\/massillon\/2025\/07\/03\/stark-deputies-respond-to-mass-mink-release-at-massillon-area-farm\/84467297007\/\" data-t-l=\":b|e|k|\u2691u\">most of the animals released last week by a trespasser<\/a>\u00a0have been safely recovered or never left the property.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Dennis Tonn of Tonn&#8217;s Mink Farm said about 600 of the approximately 2,000 mink are missing after &#8220;an act of domestic terrorism&#8221; early July 3 at his longtime business on Pigeon Run Road SW.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;Someone cut a hole in the (fencing) and let &#8217;em out,&#8221; Tonn said in a brief July 7 interview at his property. &#8220;It&#8217;s hard enough to make a living without this (expletive), you know.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The incident was a first since the operation opened in 1964, said Tonn, who runs the business with his son, Tim. A similar incident in November 2022 involving a reported 1,000 animals being released did not take place at his farm, Tonn said, noting that it happened at a Wayne County farm.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Mink are common in Ohio<\/h4>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">According to the\u00a0<a class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" href=\"https:\/\/ohiodnr.gov\/discover-and-learn\/animals\/mammals\/american-mink\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/ohiodnr.gov\/discover-and-learn\/animals\/mammals\/american-mink\" data-t-l=\":b|z|k|\u2691u\">Ohio Department of Natural Resources<\/a>, mink are common in Ohio, mainly within eastern and southeastern counties.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">They typically live in wooded areas near streams, rivers, lakes or ponds, and feed on birds, frogs, eggs, fish and crayfish.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The animals are considered valuable furbearers and resemble weasels or ferrets.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;The mink is prized by the trapper both for its pelt and for the great skill required to capture it,&#8221; according to the agency&#8217;s website.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Adult mink can weigh up to 3 pounds and are between 12 and 17 inches long. They can live to be 5 years old, but usually live three to four years.<\/p>\n<h4 class=\"gnt_ar_b_h2\">Stark County Sheriff&#8217;s Office investigating mink release<\/h4>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Tonn said he immediately called the\u00a0<a class=\"gnt_ar_b_a\" href=\"https:\/\/sheriff.starkcountyohio.gov\/government\/offices\/sheriff\/index.php\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/sheriff.starkcountyohio.gov\/government\/offices\/sheriff\/index.php\" data-t-l=\":b|z|k|\u2691u\">Stark County Sheriff&#8217;s Office<\/a>\u00a0and FBI early July 3 when he noticed the missing mink and related damage to his property.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;It was probably (animal) activists or something like that,&#8221; he speculated.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The Fur Commission USA issued has denounced the mink release as an &#8220;attack.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;Let&#8217;s be clear \u2014 this was not an act of compassion. This was a criminal act that harmed animals, put farm families at risk, and broke the law,&#8221; Executive Director Challis Hobbs said in a prepared statement.\u200b<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;Releasing farm-raised mink into the wild guarantees suffering and death.\u00a0Most won&#8217;t survive more than 24 to 48 hours.\u00a0These attacks destroy property, threaten livelihoods, and leave families fearing for their safety.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">Sheriff&#8217;s Chief Deputy Mark Maskaluk said July 8 that authorities responded to Tonn&#8217;s farm on July 3, but they have no leads or suspects.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;We are looking for that. Right now, we have nothing,&#8221; Maskaluk said. &#8220;Hopefully we can come up with something.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">The North American Animal Liberation Press Office also issued a statement crediting activists for releasing the mink in Stark County.<\/p>\n<p class=\"gnt_ar_b_p\">&#8220;The animals liberated &#8230;. have a fighting chance at life; they faced a 100% death rate if they stayed on the farm,&#8221; it said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Steven M. Grazier Massillon Independent Key Points The owner of Tonn&#8217;s Mink Farm said about 600 of nearly 2,000 released animals remain missing. Dennis Tonn said a trespasser came on his business property and cut fencing to release the animals. Tonn said he called the Stark County Sheriff&#8217;s Office and FBI to investigate the incident. &hellip; <\/p>\n<p><a class=\"more-link btn\" href=\"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/2025\/07\/09\/domestic-terrorism-mink-farmer-upset-after-2000-animals-released-from-his-stark-farm\/\">Continue reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15631,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15630"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15630"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15630\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15632,"href":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15630\/revisions\/15632"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15631"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15630"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15630"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/animalliberationpressoffice.org\/NAALPO\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15630"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}