WEST IN THE NEWS
Baby Raccoons Rescued From Couple’s Car In Springdale Drive-Thru
WEST assists in rescue of 2 baby raccoons that crawled into a vehicle. Listen to the news story about this 4 hour rescue!
Raccoon Stuck On Ohio Porch For A Week Gets Rescued
WEST rescues a raccoon that was trapped under a porch. The raccoon was stuck in a trap and suffered numerous wounds. Read about the care provided by WEST in this article with two followup articles.
Over 250 Animals Rescued From ‘Horrific’ Conditions On Ohio Fur Farm
WEST is one of the groups that took in animals rescued from a fur farm in Ashtabula County, Ohio. This dire situation turned into a successful relocation of the surviving animals. WEST took in 4 foxes and 10 skunks.
Fur And Urine Farm Followup
To recognize the year anniversary of the rescue, Humane World for Animals released a mini documentary about the rescue operation, which explores the secretive link between the fur and urine farming industries and highlights a few of the happy endings.
Additional Information
- More than 300 animals from the property were placed with wildlife facilities and sanctuaries, with Ohio wildlife officials managing the placement process.
- Over 40 wildlife rehabilitators, sanctuaries and care facilities across at least 15 states opened doors to provide temporary or permanent placement to these animals.
- Those states include Illinois, Colorado, Ohio, Missouri, Texas, West Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Nebraska, Indiana, Florida, New York, New Mexico and California.
- The incredible resiliency of the survivors should inspire change, but a sobering reality remains: Each year, tens of millions of animals are bred and killed to supply the fashion industry with fur coats, fur trim for hooded jackets, and fur pompoms used on hats, gloves, shoes and a range of other clothing and accessories.
- In the U.S., there are no federal regulations related to the welfare, care or slaughter of animals farmed for their fur. While Grand River Fur Exchange was licensed by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, Ohio does not have laws or standards of care for fur farming or slaughter. In fact, New York’s ban on anal and genital electrocution of foxes is the only state-level law on fur farm welfare, aside from California’s prohibition on the sale of new fur products which took effect in 2023. Humane World for Animals is urging other states to follow their lead.
- The state of Ohio has not taken action to fix the broken licensing system that allowed such wanton cruelty to slip through the cracks for years. The owner of this facility held a Commercial Propagating License, which was in good standing with the state until the day he died. Ohioans overwhelmingly oppose animal cruelty, and we are fighting for laws and regulations that reflect those values.
- The public can play a critical role in helping the millions of animals languishing in similar circumstances by supporting legislation to protect these animals, committing to a fur-free wardrobe and avoiding purchasing predator urine.