Detective: No evidence of abuse at fur farm

Police found no violations at a Shawano County fur farm accused by an animal rights group of inhumanely killing mink and foxes.

The Shawano County Sheriff’s Office put “substantial effort” into its investigation and will keep the case open — even though it won’t be actively investigating —  to allow the accusers to provide additional evidence, Detective Sergeant Gordon Kowaleski wrote in a press release Friday.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals filed a complaint with the sheriff’s office in December after conducting a two-month undercover investigation at Dillenberg Fur Farm, located in the town of Belle Plaine.

PETA gave detectives an edited video from footage captured by an individual working undercover at the farm. The 11-minute video appears to show employees putting as many as 30 mink at once into a metal chamber and then using carbon monoxide from a combustion engine to kill the animals.

PETA claims the process resulted in long and painful deaths for the animals. According to the organization, it took more than 20 minutes for one mink to be killed this way, and workers broke the neck of another mink that survived the gassing.

Shawano Co. fur farm accused of animal cruelty

"With all due respect to the sheriff's department, how can the abuses documented in PETA's video of the Shawano County fur farm not be considered cruelty to animals?" said PETA Associate Director Dan Paden. "If law enforcement gives a pass to those who slowly gas to death as many as 30 minks at a time in a metal drum with carbon monoxide crudely pumped inside from a running engine, break the necks of survivors, and deny veterinary care to injured animals, people who are shocked by the abuses will be revolted by the failure of the authorities to stop them."

The Sheriff’s Office inspected the farm along with a veterinarian who specializes in mink farming. It also worked with the animal health section of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection as well as the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

The office requested PETA provide a copy of the full, unedited video footage and make the witness available to provide more information.

“This investigation will be ongoing and at this time officials are eager for the reporting party to come forward with any additional information,” Kowaleski wrote.

arodewal@pressgazettemedia.com and follow him on Twitter @AdamGRodewald and on Facebook at Facebook.com/AdamGRodewald.