The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the welfare and public health dangers of mink farming when the virus spread through farm populations in Europe and North America, leading to mass cullings.
The COVID-19 mink culling crisis exposed the inherent fragility and welfare risks of intensive mink farming at scale. Animals killed in mass cullings experienced the welfare costs of whatever killing method was available — often improvised and less humane than planned slaughter. The underlying disease spread was driven by the same high-density conditions that cause chronic stress and welfare problems in normal operations. The crisis demonstrated that the welfare costs of intensive mink farming extend beyond routine welfare deficits to catastrophic welfare events triggered by the disease risk that concentration creates. This remains relevant as other intensive animal industries face similar zoonotic risks.