Two American animal rights activists were recently sentenced to 90 days in Canadian jail and fined $34,000 a piece for raiding a mink farm. The decision, which came Monday, is the first time a Canadian court has handed down jail terms for similar crimes against the fur industry, said Gary Hazlewood, a director of the Canadian Mink Breeders Association.

Hilma Ruby, 61, and Patricia Dodson, 49, both from Michigan, along with five other Americans, broke into Eberts Fur Farm and were later arrested March 30, 1997. Of the 1,540 mink they liberated, 500 died from cold, fighting among themselves or under the wheels of cars. A civil court judge assessed the damages at over $770,000.

News compiled by Eric Hansen, Nate Hoogeveen, Jane Maguire, and Mary Catherine O'Connor of Outside magazine.