Latest news with #FurHarvestersAuction
Yahoo
04-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Authorities rescue animals for horrifying conditions at 'hell' farm: 'The suffering found at this farm is not an anomaly'
When authorities and animal rehabilitation groups rescued neglected creatures at Ohio's Grand River Fur Exchange, the case drew national attention and sparked outrage. Wildlife Rescue & Rehabilitation was one of the groups working to save foxes, coyotes, skunks, pigs, and more from the "hell" of the fur and urine farm, along with the Humane Society of the United States and Humane Society International. Now, the Texas-based organization has released a video series on its website documenting those efforts and educating people on how they can help prevent future cruelty. On its website, WRR explained that it accepted 15 skunks, six coyotes, and six foxes that needed immediate medical care after their captive stay at Grand River Fur Exchange. In addition to breeding animals for their fur and exporting it to global fashion markets, as suggested by documents linking it to Fur Harvesters Auction, the fur exchange sold them as pets and collected their urine for hunting and trapping lures. The U.S. Department of Agriculture fined the business back in 2011 and banned it from selling wild animals. Nonetheless, it continued to operate until December 2024, when the owner died. Sadly, the horrific conditions the animals endured, including malnutrition, electrocution, and confinement to wire cages that wounded them and cut off their limbs, aren't out of the ordinary. "This rescue has provided a rare glimpse inside an industry that operates almost entirely out of public view. The suffering found at this farm is not an anomaly—it is the standard for facilities that engage in this practice," WRR wrote. However, the lives of the rescued animals are now changing for the better thanks to the coordinated efforts of organizations dedicated to protecting vulnerable creatures, whose fate can mean the difference between healthy ecosystems that also support human life and those that collapse. Ways you can help make the world a better place for animals include supporting fur-free fashion brands and not engaging with social media posts featuring wild animals, which can normalize the demand for exotic animals, according to the Humane World for Animals. Do you think America has a plastic waste problem? Definitely Only in some areas Not really I'm not sure Click your choice to see results and speak your mind. WRR also encouraged people viewing their videos to "check back often" for updates on "how you can be part of the movement to ensure no other animals suffer the same fate." "Amazing work WRR," one commenter wrote on The Boerne Star's coverage of the story. "Thank you for countering the hell on earth that some people create." Join our free newsletter for good news and useful tips, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- Yahoo
Hundreds of foxes, wolf-dog hybrids, other animals rescued from NE Ohio ‘fur farm'
***Video above: What is Goddard's Law*** ASHTABULA COUNTY, Ohio (WJW) — Hundreds of animals have been rescued from what humane agents are calling a 'fur and urine farm' in Ashtabula County. According to the Humane Society of the United States, the rescue operation started after the Rome, Ohio property owner died in late December, 'escalating an already-dire animal welfare crisis on the property.' 27 horses found dead; woman charged with animal cruelty During the investigation, humane agents found foxes, wolf-dog hybrids, skunks, opossums and coyotes living in 'filthy wire-bottom cages with little to no protection from the frigid conditions,' the humane society said in a Saturday press release. According to the nonprofit organization, some of the rescued animals were missing limbs, tails, toes and ears. 'Veterinarians determined that animals likely lost toes due to the cages' wire flooring, while the animals missing limbs and paws had likely been caught in steel-jaw leghold traps found around the property,' the humane society said. 70+ car break-ins around University of Akron: police Humane agents said several animals were emaciated and extremely dehydrated, while others were found dead in the snow. A dying coyote was also found caught in a trap, the press release said. 'This is one of the most horrific situations I have ever seen—the terror and pain was palpable,' Adam Parascandola, vice president of the Humane Society of the United States' animal rescue team, said in the release. Investigators learned that the owner sold pelts to the Fur Harvesters Auction in Ontario. The humane society alleges that the property was used to raise and slaughter animals for their fur and urine, as well as to sell them as exotic pets. The organization said while some animals on the property were bred in captivity, others were 'trapped in excruciatingly painful leghold traps.' 'Our team is exposed to immense cruelty in the criminal cases we regularly respond to like dogfighting and severe neglect, yet this stands out both in terms of suffering and because of these fur farming practices. It's haunting,' Parascandola said. The rescue operation wrapped up on Saturday, when the last group of animals were taken from the property. According to the humane society, some animals were euthanized because they were seriously injured or sick, but more than 250 were rescued and taken to wildlife rehabilitation facilities and animal sanctuaries. West Wildlife Rehab near Cincinnati took to social media on Monday, confirming they retrieved four foxes and 10 skunks from the property. 'Though they are all traumatized and timid, none have been aggressive,' a Facebook post said. Was fire at $66M Cleveland Heights construction project intentional? City officials working scientifically The rehabilitation center shared videos from the 'fur farm,' showing foxes in wire cages and skunks and coyotes in deplorable conditions. 'The older I get, the less I understand about this world,' one of the posts said. 'But I'm just going to keep helping. That's what makes it better.' As seen in court documents, the property owner was fined back in 2011 by the United States Department of Agriculture and ordered to stop breeding and selling exotic animals as pets, but according to the humane society, 'they continued to engage in those practices, apparently without further enforcement.' 'Humane Society International has investigated fur farms around the globe and animal suffering and filth like we saw on this property are constants,' PJ Smith, director of fashion policy for the Humane Society of the United States, said in the release. 'The U.S. fur trade has long operated in the shadows with zero oversight, and it's very rare to see inside a U.S. fur farm, let alone be able to rescue the animals. You simply can't put wild animals in a cage for their entire lives and expect anything but a nightmare, and this fur farm is just another example of what the declining fur trade doesn't want you to see.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
