Mink breeders offer $100K for capture of 'extremists'

• Mink breeders offer $75K to find out who set 1,600 mink free in St. Marys

• Intruders release 6,800 mink from St. Marys farm

"We know there is a small segment of extremists who want to put us out of business, but, honestly, how could anyone be so ignorant or heartless as to release two-month old animals," wroteassociation presidentKirkRankin in a news release Tuesday.

The new sum ups the ante from the previous $75,000 reward offered by the Canada Mink Breeders on May 31, aftersomeone cut a hole through the chain link fence that surroundsGlenwoodFur Farms, just east of St.Marys, Ont., andreleased 1600 minkfrom their cages.

The break-in was followed by a similar incident last week, where some time between 11 p.m. Tuesday and 1 a.m. Wednesday, 6,800 young mink were released from RBR Fur Farms Inc.,owned by Rankin.

"If you don't want to wear fur, that's fine, don't buy it, but that doesn't give you the right to dictate how everyone else should live; it doesn't give you the right to break into people's homes," he said.

Ontario Provincial Police are investigating both break-ins.