Portugal: Illegal chinchilla fur farm in Portugal closed dow

[Animal 0]

Portugal: Illegal chinchilla fur farm in Portugal closed down
2005-04-07

Undercover investigation by ANIMAL and the newspaper “O Independente”


The Ministry of Agriculture and the Police closed down, last week, the biggest chinchilla fur farm in Portugal, following an investigation by ANIMAL and “O Independente”

Following anonymous information that was passed to ANIMAL and to the Portuguese weekly nationwide newspaper “O Independente”, the animal rights organisation and the newspaper worked together to carry out an undercover investigation about a chinchilla fur farm in the North of Portugal, which lead to the public exposure, last week, of this fur farm.

According to the investigation, the owner of the harm himself claimed that this was the biggest chinchilla fur farm in Portugal, “producing” up to 500,000 chinchillas per year, possibly more, if ordered.

The owner of the farm claimed that he provided chinchilla pelts to Portuguese, Spanish, French and Danish buyers. Although fur farms are legal in Portugal, this fur farm had no license and it became clear that no license or permit was ever asked by the “producer”.

Following this investigation, the Ministry of Agriculture and the Police closed down the fur farm last Thursday, apprehending more than 300 breeding chinchillas (all females) and more than 800 pelts that were still in the place and that the owner was not able to hide before the operation. ANIMAL is now trying to claim the guard of the chinchillas, so that they can be safely rehomed.

With this information, ANIMAL exposed, for the first time in Portugal, a fur farm and the cruel details of this shameful business in Portugal, getting important footage about it, which got many nationwide newspapers and two nationwide TV stations to cover this. It is very meaningful and worthy of note that the outcome of this investigation proved to earn the praise and agreement by the media and also by the Portuguese public.

Miguel Moutinho, ANIMAL´s Executive Director, said, “This is a very important mark for the defense of animal rights in Portugal. Also, when we are targeting, with heavy protest campaigns, one of the most reputed Portuguese fashion designers for her use and support to fur, this investigation publicly reinforced why we should ban the capture of animals for fur, fur farming, fur trade and the use of fur.”

http://animal.org.pt/