Rustlers!

Foraging for livestock

In recession-plagued Michigan some people are living high off the hog, not to mention the cow, the sheep and even the horse. As food prices rise and unemployment lines grow longer, rustlers have declared open season on livestock. Complains State Representative Richard Fitzpatrick, whose home turf in south-central Michigan has been hard hit: "People just rent themselves a UHaul, find a farm at night, open a fence and get a cow."

State officials put livestock losses by Michigan farmers at $614,000 in 1980, a 50% increase over 1979. In the first...

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