Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) is an animal-rights group that came into formal existence in late 1999 in response to a documentary televised in the United Kingdom in 1998. In the program, workers at Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS), a pharmaceutical and chemical research firm in England, were filmed abusing and mistreating animals. Immediately following the airing of the documentary, HLS acknowledged that mistakes were made, and fired several employees in an attempt to rectify the problems. However, many animal rights activists felt that HLS' actions were inexcusable. This resulted in the formation of SHAC by British activists Greg Avery, Heather James, and Natasha Dellemagne. The group's goal is to shut down all HLS offices. In 2002, the company moved its headquarters to New Jersey, although it still retains its offices in England. SHAC anticipated the move to the United States, and the group set up offices inside the U.S. to continue its activities, with American Kevin Kjonaas as its leader.<br /><p><br />Through its website, SHAC encourages activists to contact local activists in their area and contribute to protests through demonstrations, phone calls, and emails to HLS and other "current targets." SHAC has identified these other targets as customers, suppliers, and financial supporters of HLS. While the group's website explicitly states that SHAC does not "encourage or incite illegal activity," its supporters have harassed employees of HLS, and companies associated with HLS, through letters and demonstrations, sometimes threatening to assassinate and emplace bombs at businesses and the homes of targeted employees. In February 2001, HLS Managing Director Brian Cass was attacked outside of his home in England by three men wielding pickaxe handles. The attack left Cass with a three-inch head wound. When a neighbor sought to intervene in the attack, he was sprayed with CS gas, a common riot control agent used by police. One of the attackers, David Blenkinsop, was later arrested and jailed for three years beginning in late 2001.<br /><p><br />Because of its common cause, SHAC is believed to have connections with the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) and the Revolutionary Cells Animal Liberation Brigade. SHAC's website in the past has praised attacks on businesses with links to HLS. In July 2002, SHAC activists targeted Marsh Inc., an insurance firm who conducted business with HLS. Smoke bombs were emplaced in two of the firms' offices in high rise buildings in Seattle, causing workers to evacuate. Marsh Inc. later ended its association with HLS because of these attacks.