If you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all; treat others like you would like to be treated; always be respectful – these are all basic rules I learned growing up. Unfortunately, some people have forgotten these simple gestures and need to listen to R-E-S-P-E-C-T by Aretha Franklin on repeat.

It’s no surprise that animal rights activist extremists are not fond of farmers and ranchers who raise animals. No matter how well the animals are treated under the farmers’ care, it will never be enough for the activists because their goal is a world without meat, milk, poultry and eggs. Just because these activists would rather see farmers out of business, it does not give them the right to break the law in the name of animal rights – but that is exactly what they are doing.

Animal rights activists harass farmers

Across the world, animal rights activist extremists are harassing and stealing from farmers and ranchers. Here are just a few of their stunts:

Wearing plastic booties for biosecurity

Since when is this type of behavior okay? Thankfully, the law is catching up with some of them. The leader of the very extreme group, Direct Action Everywhere is facing multiple charges for his illegal actions against farmers.

Breaking into farms could potentially put the animals in danger. Farmers take the health and well-being of their animals seriously. Biosecurity is any procedure or practice intended to protect humans and animals against disease. When someone breaks into a farm they may track in germs that could get the animals sick, especially if they are traveling from farm to farm trying to gain access.

Protect your farm

To protect your farm and animals from these extreme actions, here are a few things you can do:

Establish check-in procedures for visitors at your farm and ensure all employees and family members know the steps to follow if a visitor shows up. Escort visitors at all times. Maintain basic security: lock offices and cabinets, have proper lighting, alarms and cameras, post signs for restricted areas and no trespassing. Proactively connect with local law enforcement – let them know any concerns you have and ask for advice and protocol suggestions. Make sure they have access to maps of your facilities. If you there is a protest at your farm, facility or an event you are attending, do not engage protesters and remain calm. Develop a crisis communication action plan. If you do encounter any suspicious activity, immediately report it to law enforcement and notify the Animal Agriculture Alliance and your state commodity association. This could be anything from someone trying to get hired on your farm with dishonest intentions to a drone flying overhead.

If you are being harassed or activists are trespassing on your farm, please contact the Animal Agriculture Alliance at info@animalagalliance.org.

All posts are the opinion of the author and do not necessarily represent the view of the Animal Ag Alliance.