Rome, Ohio – Hundreds of animals held at a fur/urine farm in Ashtabula County, Ohio, found themselves in need of rescue after their owner died in December. According to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), “the animals were being raised and slaughtered for fur, bred for sale as exotic pets, and held captive for urine farming.”
The rescue mission took place at the Grand River Fur Exchange where the animals were being kept in wire cages, with little to no protection from the frigid conditions. Responding rescuers found animals suffering from starvation and dehydration – some had already died before help arrived.
Some of the animals were missing limbs from leghold traps…others were slowly dying from being restrained in the steel traps. In a release, Adam Parascandola, vice president of the Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Rescue Team commented on the horrific conditions:
“This is one of the most horrific situations I have ever seen—the terror and pain was palpable. 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.”
Some of the animals found on the property were in such dismal condition that humane euthanasia was the only option. But the rescue teams were able to save more than 330 animals from the farm; the animals will be placed with wildlife rehabbers and sanctuaries.
PJ Smith, director of fashion policy for the Humane Society of the United States said, “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.”
Documents at the property revealed the property owner sold pelts to Fur Harvester Auction, the last remaining fur auction house in North America. According to HSUS, “pelts sold at Fur Harvesters Auction are exported globally and used for home decor and fashion products, such as fur-pom hats and trim on gloves or shoes.”
All images via HSUS.
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