New jersey farm broken into, "farm animals violated"

New Jersey Farm Broken Into, “Farm Animals Violated”

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1 min read
August 23, 2020

WYCKOFF, NJ – A group of young adults broke into Abma’s farm in Wyckoff, New Jersey this weekend and according to owners of the farm, “violated” the farm animals, stole and abused animals.

“Abma’s Farm is a working farm. Four families live here; this is our home and life,” the owners said.  “It is NOT a playground, especially at 11pm. Breaking into our farm and barnyard is not only a liability to you but more importantly to our animals.”

Owners said it is clear that animals were disturbed and violated by the group of trespassers who proceeded to ride their donkeys.

“Our animals are very shaken and skittish compared to their normal calm and relaxed nature, and our mini horse has signs of physical abuse,” the farm said. “Several of the gates were opened and our alpaca gate is missing a pin. We cannot account for all of our rabbits and ducks as some of them are missing… Today (Sunday) we continue to assess all of our animals physically and emotionally with the help of our veterinarian and animal control.”

Then, evidence showed up on snap chat as a picture of a girl riding a miniature donkey was posted and shared with the farm.

“From the bottom of our hearts, we want to thank our community for showing us an outpouring of love and support after hearing about last night’s events. To update, our farm was broken into last night around 10pm. Tresspassers broke into our Barnyard Petting Zoo and disturbed our animals. They opened gates and rode our miniature donkeys, who should not be supporting that much weight. One person took a snapchat of another person riding our mini donkey and applied the Abma’s Farm geofilter,” the farm said.  “After a concerned party alerted us to the snapchat, we caught two other trespassers stealing – when we called the police, the two fled the scene. We must explain the seriousness of this break in. First and foremost, we are a working farm, and four families (and four generations) live here. This is our home. Second, from a human safety standpoint, breaking in to animal pens with no animal training is dangerous. Animals can kick, rear up, and trample you. In the dark, anything can happen.”

As of Sunday, all animals set loose by the trespassers had been recovered and returned to the farm.

The petting zoo will be closed tomorrow, August 24th, to allow for a veterinarian to complete full wellness and health check on all animals.

Phil Stilton is the Editor and Publisher of Shore News Network, an independent digital newsroom providing original reporting on New Jersey, national news, government, public policy, public safety, courts, and community affairs.

As founder of the publication, Stilton leads editorial strategy, investigative reporting, and daily newsroom operations while overseeing coverage that reaches millions of readers annually.

With extensive experience covering municipal government, county government, state legislatures, elections, law enforcement, emergency management, and public records, Stilton specializes in translating complex government actions into clear, factual reporting. His work frequently relies on primary source documents, including court filings, legislation, public meeting records, election finance disclosures, government databases, police reports, and Freedom of Information and Open Public Records Act (OPRA) requests. He has reported extensively on local government accountability, taxpayer spending, campaign finance, public corruption investigations, infrastructure, public safety, and the policies affecting New Jersey residents.

Under Stilton's editorial leadership, Shore News Network has grown into one of New Jersey's largest independent digital news organizations, publishing thousands of original news articles each year while providing breaking news coverage, investigative reporting, and analysis across state and local government. The publication's reporting is routinely sourced from official government agencies, public officials, court records, and firsthand documentation, with a commitment to transparency, attribution, corrections when warranted, and clearly distinguishing factual reporting from opinion.

Stilton's journalism follows established newsroom standards emphasizing accuracy, verification, fairness, and accountability. Every effort is made to verify information through official records and multiple reliable sources before publication. His reporting is intended to provide readers with timely, well-documented information that helps them understand the issues affecting their communities, while maintaining editorial independence from political parties, government agencies, advocacy organizations, and commercial interests.

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