ISTOCK, RMARNOLDThe same federal agency that had ordered a fur farm in Iowa to improve the appalling living conditions for the animals it keeps simultaneously spent tens of thousands of dollars on purchasing animals from the company for research, the Associated Press reports.
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), which is responsible for enforcing regulations on animal welfare, had repeatedly ordered Ruby Fur Farm to improve the living conditions and treatment for the raccoons, skunks, ferrets, and foxes it sells as “unusual pets” as well as for scientific research. Several animal rights groups have called for fines to be charged and the farm’s federal license to be revoked.
Although the USDA has documented problems in the treatment and keeping of animals in the farms, the agency has not demanded fines or taken any enforcement action so far.
According to the Associated Press, a USDA report from December 2016 noted: “One dead, decomposing, headless juvenile ferret was found incorporated into the fecal material buildup on the wire floor ...
