ALF Releases Captive Foxes from Farm in Northern Virginia This Morning

[Omaha Steve]

For Immediate Release
August 5, 2012


Elkton, VA: In a communique received by the North American Animal Liberation Press Office today, the Animal Liberation Front has taken credit for liberating every captive fox on a northern Virginia fur farm on Sunday morning. According to the communique, activists also destroyed equipment used in the exploitation of these wild animals at Scott Deans D&S Fox Farm, 16671 Fox Farm Lane in Elkton, 120 miles west of Washington DC. Every animal on the farm was seen to scurry to freedom in the adjacent national park.

The communique reads, in full:

On the night of August 5, the Animal Liberation Front visited the only known fur farm in the state of Virginia, Scott Dean's D&S Fox Farm in Elkton. We opened every one of the few cages at D&S, giving thirteen beautiful foxes a chance at new lives in the nearby Shenandoah National Park. As we watched a few of them immediately scurry off to freedom, we damaged the machinery that allows Dean to continue his day-to-day operation confining and torturing these sensitive creatures. Dean, it appears that this is a hobby providing you only supplementary income - it is our commitment to free your prisoners and cost you more than you make until you shut down. To those nationwide who also seek justice for the innocent, your nearest fur farm is at most a state away. Take action for animals. -ALF


Imprisoned in cages for life, fur-bearing animals killed to make unnecessary fashion statements are forced to endure intensive confinement, compared to the miles of territory these still-wild animals would enjoy in their natural state. The natural instincts of these captive animals are completely frustrated; self-mutilation, sickness, infection, poor sanitation and the sheer stress of confinement lead animals in captivity to premature death. When they survive, animals of sufficient size are killed by anal electrocution or gassing, then skinned. In addition to liberating the wild animals destined for a certain, painful and agonizing death, another goal of liberationists is to cause economic damage to fur retailers and farms; dozens of stores and fur farming operations have seen economic ruin since "Operation Bite Back" began by the Animal Liberation Front in the 1990s.

The Animal Liberation Front utilizes economic sabotage in addition to the direct liberation of animals from conditions of abuse and imprisonment to halt needless animal suffering. By making it more expensive to trade in the lives of innocent, sentient beings, the ALF maintain the atrocities against our brothers and sisters are likely to occur in smaller numbers; their goal is to abolish the exploitation, imprisonment, torture and killing of innocent, non-human animals.

Contact: [phone]
Animal Liberation Press Office
3371 Glendale Blvd #107
Los Angeles, CA 90039

www.animalliberationpressoffice.org
[e-mail]

[pinboy3niner]

1. Police circulate sketch artist's depiction of the suspect...

[longship]

33. Gordon Shumway rules!

Go Alf!

[freshwest]

2. OMG. That's just sick.

[Ian David]

3. Free Swiper!

[cthulu2016]

4. The Elkton, VA, squirrel population is less than enthused

[yellowcanine]

39. The Elkton VA squirrels likely have nothing to fear from these foxes.

These foxes are used to having food given to them. They don't know how to catch a squirrel. It is not all instinct as some would have you believe. Predators have to learn how to hunt. If they learn while they are young when mom can make up for their failures they might be ok. But in this instance, probably not. Most of them will likely starve if they don't get eaten first by a coyote.

[catbyte]

5. Go ALF. foxes run free

I am sorry but obscene enterprises like these fox farms are murdering our souls. We are killing this planet and in the end will kill ourselves. We are murdering our mother for money.

Diane
Anishinaabe in MI

[freshwest]

6. +1,000. Thanks for that.

[Zalatix]

13. +1,000? I'll see that another +9,000!

[catbyte]

14. miigwetch

It just breaks my heart to see what we've become. A little civil disobedience and righteous destruction is good for the soul. I know my heart was lighter reading it especially since they escaped to a National Forest. Less chance of capture. We must regain our compassion.

[Care Acutely]

19. Add my +1000's too.

Kudos to the ALF. The idea of raising creatures just to murder them is abhorrent.

[hfojvt]

41. isn't that sweet?

[Peepsite]

7. Animals bred in captivity?

I have to wonder what percentage will survive a year.

[Skip Intro]

9. Surely, they have a better chance of survival outside the fur farm

than inside.

[nashville_brook]

24. +100000

[BOG PERSON]

45. ultimately, there is zero chance of survival

[a la izquierda]

10. My dogs have been raised indoors since they were puppies (when we found them)...

they still know how to hunt, much to my chagrin.
These freed foxes will figure it out, and quickly, I imagine.

[hfojvt]

42. one of my dogs was loose for a week

in 100 degree weather. I thought the heat would surely kill her. But she apparently knew how to find water. Probably was just raiding garbage bags for food though. She had lost a lot of weight by the time animal control hit her with their truck, the incompetent a$$holes.

[a la izquierda]

47. Oh my word!!

Poor baby, and poor doggie parent! I' m sure you were worried sick!
Dare I ask, did she make it?

[hfojvt]

48. She did - taking pain pills for a couple weeks

No broken bones, but she still doesn't run right. She's faster than her dad (who has put on weight since getting neutered) but her right leg kicks out when she runs.

At first I sorta figured she would come back on her own (but I searched anyway). Her dad used to escape the yard and was once gone for about twenty hours before he came back. After a few days, I sorta figured she was a goner. I mean, how could she survive in that heat? It wasn't even cooling off at night. That first night I searched for her, I tried to use her dad to track her. First, I soaked him with water, then we walked less than two miles. This was in the middle of the night, and he was panting like crazy.

Then I thought maybe she was in the woods. There are many wooded areas in town. One just about six blocks away in the direction I thought she went (according to her dad). Even a very small stream in that woods. So I tried to search that woods. It is loaded with poison ivy, and I also got jabbed in the eye in the attempt, sorta walked into a branch while I was looking at the ground for poison ivy.

Meanwhile animal control had a report on her Wednesday night, and never called me. Didn't call me Thursday either. Or Friday. I finally called them Friday at about 4 p.m. "Yeah, we think we found her, she's been hit by a car." Right, so she dodged traffic for a week until you chased her into it. And never bothered to call me when I could have easily caught her if I had known where to look.

[Major Nikon]

12. All will certainly starve to death if they aren't found

Meanwhile the insurance company makes the fur producer whole and they will be back in business in short order.

Regardless of how you feel about the fur trade, antics like these are counterproductive, incredibly cruel to the animals they are supposedly 'helping', and accomplish nothing.

[catbyte]

15. I vigorously disagree

Those foxes will know what to do. Their instincts will kick in. They weren't housepets with their nature bred out of them for crying out loud. I don't understand how you can be more outraged by the liberation than by the imprisonment.

[Major Nikon]

17. I'm not sure what you're using as a basis for your assertion

The foxes used for fur farming are bred selectively and specifically for fur quality, so effectively they are a domestic animal. Furthermore they are arctic fox which are adapted to the arctic circle, not Northern Virginia. The geniuses who released them would have been much better off euthanizing them. Instead they have sentenced them to a slow, lingering death from starvation and exposure. These people are actually worse than assholes who dump puppies and kittens off in remote areas. At least those animals have a small chance at survival. I'm outraged by anyone who would subject any animal to such treatment. YMMV.

[kwolf68]

21. WTF

Just because they are bred for fur quality doesn't mean they don't know HOW to survive and I bet many will. Thus they are NOT domestic animals AT ALL.

I am glad you are outraged. Take it up with the outrage fairy. I don't like ALF and some of the shit they do, but fuck it, I'm sick of slaughtering animals like this and even if it's a mild problem for the slaughter house then so be it.

[Major Nikon]

25. I'd love to take your bet if there was any hope of collecting

If you care to take the time, try doing some research on the reintroduction of wild dog species. Almost all attempts failed miserably. Keep in mind these were animals who were released at the right age, in the right environment, at the right time of year, under extremely closely monitored conditions which included nutritional supplements in many instances. Many were wild caught animals. Even then, the animals died. So if you actually think an animal which has been domesticated and bred for fur quality is going to survive thousands of miles from its native habitat while being released haphazardly, I don't think you're very knowledgeable on the subject or you're being quite duplicitous for whatever reason.

[stevenleser]

36. It's very sad. The folks arguing with you clearly have their hearts in the right place. But they

cannot deal with the reality of what has transpired and what it means for the animals.

Even a little bit of research shows that these animals are now going to die a long slow death full of suffering and pain. I'm really surprised that a group like the ALF wouldn't have some sort of better plan.

[Duppers]

34. how do you know these are "arctic" foxes??

I read the info and could not find any reference to Arctic Foxes.



Btw, I live in Virginia and saw a well-fed fox run across my front lawn just last night. True story.

[Major Nikon]

40. Because those are the types used for fur

The fox you saw was probably a red fox. The red fox is used also for fur and has a wider habitat range, but you don't see them as much in the US (if at all) anymore in the fur trade because their fur is not nearly as valuable. Many, if not most, of the fox that are used for fur aren't found in the wild anyway. Even though they may be the same species, the animals are bred for certain properties and are hybrids and some have been bred in captivity for as much as 100 years. The silver fox doesn't exist in the wild, although it is an arctic fox. Animals used for this purpose are in no way equipped to survive in the wild. Due to selective breeding they lose their ability to hunt and fear predators. So they might be able to eat out of trash cans for a while, but if they don't die of starvation someone is going to shoot or poison them for being a nuisance.

[thomasrageface]

35. Foolish Move.

Their instincts will not kick in. Here is what will likely happen, the farm will attempt to bait and capture the ones that were released. Those that are not recaptured by the farm will either; die of starvation, fall prey to other local predators, succumb a localized disease in the animal populations, get trapped or killed by the State DNR (they frown on free range non-native species.)

[yellowcanine]

38. Correct. Releasing adapted species has to be done with care let alone unadapted ones.

A released animal will have to compete with animals which have already established territories. Instinct is only part of it. Wild animals reared in the wild learn from other wild animals. A wild animal which has spent its whole life in captivity is going to be in real trouble in the wild. Even injured wild animals who have been rehabbed can't just be dumped back into the wild.

[Mojorabbit]

29. That was my thought.

I do wildlife rehab and many animals need to be slowly acclimated before release esp if previously kept as a pet. I hope they will be ok.

[Chuuku Davis]

44. There will not be any survive a week

Some will starve but most will be eaten by the coyotes.
At least they will get a few days of freedom.

[williesgirl]

8. Wow, I live not too far from there

In between the Shenandoah Nat'l Park and George Washington National Park. I never heard of this farm. Only an evil cretin would do this to live animals for profit (or any other reason IMO). This is one group I'll donate to. Thanks for posting. Rec'd

[cabot]

11. I abhor fur farms

However, I'm worried how foxes raised in captivity will survive. I hope their natural instincts kick in. I remember when an animal rights group did this to a mink farm. Didn't turn out so well. http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/minks.asp

[madrchsod]

16. really stupid thing to do

to bad they think they have accomplished something good.

some dumb asses did the same thing at a mink ranch several years ago. the dumb asses did`t realize that these minks were not wild animals. they ended up getting hit by cars and starving to death. those that survived would have upset the balance of nature in the area. thankfully most of the mink were rounded up.

animals that are raised in farms are not "wild" animals. they are not used to eating in the wild. they are used to being fed at a certain time and certain foods. if there isn`t enough food they die of starvation or disease

[catbyte]

18. foxes are not minks.

So you think a dark filthy small cage is preferable to freedom? And let's not forget the anal electrocution at the end of it all.lovely.

[Major Nikon]

20. True. These fox have even less of a chance

At least the mink used in the fur industry is adapted to the US and Europe, and even then their release turned out to be disastrous.

Foxes used for fur production are either the Silver Fox or Blue Fox. Both are arctic foxes wholly unsuited for life in Northern Virginia even if they hadn't been bred and raised for captivity. Anyone who thinks they will not die a miserable death is either uninformed or is living in a fantasy land. Regardless of what you think of the ethics of the fur trade, animals who live in cages actually face less stress than animals in the wild. They don't have to worry about food, or shelter, predators or any of the other things that wild animals have to worry about, and yes a death that is over in seconds is preferable to one that lasts for days or weeks of extremely high stress followed by a slow lingering death.

[kwolf68]

22. Huh

"animals who live in cages actually face less stress than animals in the wild."

What in the FUCK are you talking about?

Did the animal tell you this? Did you use "the force"? How do YOU KNOW how much stress a wild creature faces when being shoved into a crate?

As someone WITH experience concerning animals (other than slaughtering them) let me tell you LESS stress is actually caused by NATURAL stimuli. Thus, hunting for food creates little stress. And 'worrying about predators' is so much worse than worrying about the human that is going to kill you how?

LMAO...they don't "have to worry" about food. Yes, animals sit around their den all the time "worrying".

Do you even have a gold fish? Otherwise, STFU.

[Major Nikon]

26. ...

I don't debate those who feel the need to tell others to "STFU". Congratulations. You've been promoted to head turd on my shit list.

Have a nice life.

I'll leave you with this. Enjoy. And feel free to leave an equally ignorant response as your last, but I won't be reading it.

http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/guest-blog/2011/04/12/bambi-or-bessie-are-wild-animals-happier/

[FarCenter]

23. They will have a hard time finding lemmings to eat in Virginia

Range of the Arctic Fox

[Llewlladdwr]

27. It's not important what happens to the foxes after their "liberation".

The important thing is that ALF got to make a press release.

It's for Gaia, don't you know...

[limpyhobbler]

28. Does the government consider this domestic terrorism?

[Major Nikon]

30. Yep

I don't really agree with the government's definition of such things as it's obviously politically motivated and qualifying can be something as simple as the destruction of property.

However, if you look at ALF's press release, they specifically include a threat to the person who owns the farm. Seeing as how ALF has no compunction about associating with people who are arsonists, including the burning down of people's homes with children inside, and those who like to issue death threats, I think most people would take that as a pretty serious threat. Before this happened, the owner's name and address were posted on a hit list by another spin-off group, which is reminiscent of Operation Rescue's tactics which included the death of Dr. Tillman. As far as I'm concerned it's terrorism, but I'm sure the apologists for such things would have their own definition which excludes causes they support.

[limpyhobbler]

31. Sorry I'm not trying to smear people who are apologists or whatever.

I actually support the idea of ending that fur stuff, but wouldn't get within about 100 yards of one of these ALF people. I support the cause but not the ALF people.

[Major Nikon]

32. I think you have a good idea

I see ALF as extremely counterproductive to that goal. They erode public support of any political or social solution through the use of terrorist tactics.

[snooper2]

37. Well it's really a good fucking thing those weren't cats

.

[Archae]

43. The "Animal Liberation Front" get their information about nature from watching "Bambi."

Bunch of assholes.

[Brigid]

46. There is only one way to fight the fur trade:

DON'T BUY OR WEAR FUR. And shun those who do. That's really the only way to destroy this evil business. As heartbreaking as it is to think of those poor creatures trapped on a fur farm, they're not going to survive if suddenly turned loose to fend for themselves. They don't anymore know how to do that than my two pampered indoor cats would. That said, Scott Dean is the lowest form of life. A special place in hell awaits him.