CLEVELAND — The Humane Society of the United States announced that they, and local authorities, have completed an operation to rescue hundreds of animals that had been living in terrible conditions at a fur and urine farm.
“The Ashtabula County Commissioner’s Office requested the assistance of the Humane Society of the United States after the owner of Grand River Fur Exchange died in late December 2024, escalating an already-dire animal welfare crisis on the property,” a release from the Humane Society reads.
The Humane Society states that these animals had been living in wire cages exposed to cold temperatures. Some animals had missing body parts, were thin and weak and dehydrated. They said they also found several animals dead.
Animals included foxes, raccoons, wolf-dog hybrids, skunks, opossums and coyotes.
“This is one of the most horrific situations I have ever seen—the terror and pain was palpable,” said Adam Parascandola, vice president of the Humane Society of the United States’ Animal Rescue Team, in the release. “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 these fur farming practices are legal. It’s haunting.”
The release states that animals raised for fur trade are often exposed to brutal conditions.
They also say “there are no federal regulations related to the welfare, care or slaughter of animals farmed for their fur.” This fur exchange, they say, was licensed through the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
“Ohio must end the suffering of wild animals being farmed for fur or urine, or to be sold as pets. These inherently exploitative industries profit from animal cruelty and are radically out of step with the values of our state,” said Mark Finneran, Ohio state director for the Humane Society of the United States. “While I’m proud of the efforts made to help the animals on this farm, we can never allow this horrific treatment of animals to happen in Ohio again.”
PJ Smith, the director of fashion policy for the Human Society of the United States, said the awful conditions found here are “constants” on fur farms Humane Society International investigates around the world.
“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,” Smith said. “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.”
Many of the animals were given treatment on the property while placement was being arranged. The last of the rescued animals were removed Saturday.
While some animals needed to be “humanely euthanized,” the Humane Society states that they were able to rescue more than 250 animals.
“I’m incredibly grateful to the HSUS for stepping in to assist our county with this animal welfare case. The situation arose right around Christmas, during some of the worst possible weather conditions, and we simply didn’t have the local resources to manage it effectively or ensure the animals were cared for humanely,” said Casey Kozlowski, Ashtabula County Commissioner. “Their significant logistical support, along with the efforts of our county humane agents and the ODNR Wildlife Division, made all the difference. I can’t thank them enough for their collaboration. My hope is that, as a result of this situation, we can implement greater safeguards at the state level to promote and ensure the humane treatment of animals in the future.”