A CORUÑA, 26 MAY 2026 – A newly released undercover investigation has exposed shocking conditions inside a mink fur farm in Galicia, Spain, where animals were found living among corpses, excrement, and severe untreated injuries. Spanish Fur Free Alliance member organisation ARDE released the findings this week after filing a criminal complaint with the Prosecutor’s Office over animal welfare violations at the facility.

The disturbing footage reveals the grim reality of mink farming in Spain, showing animals confined to small wire cages with severe open wounds, infections, inflamed eyes, and signs of self-mutilation. Dead mink kits and decomposing adult bodies were also found inside the cages.

A veterinary expert report submitted with the complaint describes repetitive movements consistent with extreme psychological distress, as well as partially or fully lost tails with exposed bone and untreated wounds, and concludes that the conditions observed are “compatible with sustained chronic stress, behavioral frustration, physical pain, and compromised animal welfare.”

The findings add to the growing body of evidence highlighting serious animal welfare problems in fur production and reinforce calls for an EU-wide ban, currently under consideration by the European Commission in response to the Fur Free Europe citizens’ initiative.

Spain remains one of the last few countries in Europe where fur farming is still legal. The sector has declined from more than 200 farms thirty years ago to around 20 today, mostly in Galicia, breeding and killing approximately 300,000 mink annually. AGAVI (Spanish Association of Mink Breeders) fur farms, which account for more than 95% of national production, are all certified under the WelFur programme, an industry-led welfare scheme criticised for concealing serious animal welfare issues.

The investigation also documented severe hygiene failures throughout the facility, including rusted cages, heavy accumulations of excrement beneath the cages, and cobwebs in direct contact with the animals. Cats and wild birds were observed moving freely inside the farm, raising further concerns about biosecurity and disease transmission risks.

Mink fur farms have been widely criticized as high-risk environments for zoonotic disease outbreaks due to the confinement of large numbers of animals highly susceptible to respiratory viruses. Between 2020 and 2021, two COVID-19 outbreaks were recorded in the municipality where the investigated farm is located. The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) has previously warned that fur farms pose a significant zoonotic risk because of animal density, prolonged confinement, and the susceptibility of mink to viral infections.

Calls to end fur farming in Spain

The investigation has renewed calls for Spain to phase out fur farming entirely. According to a 2025 BBVA Foundation study, around 90% of Spaniards consider the use of animals for fur coats unacceptable. Across Europe, 18 countries have already outlawed the cruel practice of fur farming.

Julia Elizalde, spokesperson for ARDE, stated:

“No animal should spend its entire life locked in a cage only to end up suffocated for a simple coat. Yet this continues to happen in Spain while the rest of Europe moves forward to ban fur farms. The authorities must act now. We demand the closure and prohibition of fur farms in Spain.”

Spain’s State Strategic Plan for Natural Heritage and Biodiversity foresees the gradual closure of American mink farms by 2030. However, ARDE warns that the phase-out process has not yet been implemented and that current legislation still allows the possibility of fur farming involving other species.

The Fur Free Alliance and its member organisations continue to call on decision-makers across Europe to end fur farming through decisive legislation, in line with scientific evidence and the clear opposition of European citizens.

Sign the petition to show your support for a ban on fur farming in Spain.