Taking action - horrors of
the fur industry
The fur industry is a cruel and barbaric one. For millions of domestic and wild animals it’s a living hell. Products made from rabbit fur include coats, parkas, purses, slippers, trinkets, toys, and shawls. Little bits are commonly used as hat or jacket trim, collars, and glove linings. The following is just one letter of many sent to fashion retailers asking them to go fur free. With the number of synthetic items available there’s no excuse for fur.
February 7, 2006
- Tristan & America
- To: Gilles Fortin
Subject: Rabbit Fur
No doubt you are well aware of the cruelty and worldwide opposition to those participating, either directly or indirectly, in the fur industry. Most of today's fur originates from China where there are no animal welfare regulations or industry standards to protect the millions of domestic and wild animals raised specifically for their pelts.
- Rabbits are crammed into tiny, filthy wire-mesh cages, exposed to the elements, existing and suffering until they are transported to a slaughter area where they either have their heads bashed against a wall, their necks broken, or their throats slit. Another method is electrocution. All forms show a callous disregard of life and all are cruel. There have been a number of undercover investigations by PETA http://www.furisdead.com/, Care for the Wild International http://www.careforthewild.com/default_detail.asp?detail=true&I_ID=261§ion=Home and the Humane Society of the United States http://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/cruelty_issues_around_the_world/dying_
- for_fur_recent_investigation_shows_cruelty_at_chinese_fur_farms.html that document the unspeakable horrors of this industry.
I urge you to join such companies as Jacob, Bedo, and J. Crew that have made a commitment not to contribute to the misery of millions, and to immediately discontinue selling all fur products, most notably rabbit. There are many other options available nowadays, and besides, fur is completely unnecessary. It is not fashion, it is not cool, it is simply cruel.
Consumers have the choice to shop elsewhere, and I, along with many others will continue to boycott your company, electing instead to spend our dollars at those businesses that are more sensitive, enlightened, and progressive in their practices.
Your attention and action to this important issue is appreciated.
- Sincerely,
- Carmina Gooch
- North Vancouver
Investigation unearths cruel and inhumane treatment of rabbits used in fur fashion
May 3, 2007 http://www.api4animals.org press release (NB: this link is no longer active. However, the organization, Animal Protection Institute is.)
Consumer group urges U.S. retailers and designers to sign fur-free pledge
Sacramento, CA — Recent investigations have exposed a worldwide lack of regulation of animal welfare and trade standards for fur products. In the U.S., consumers already angered by recent exposés, including the mislabeling of products containing the fur of canines, and the intentional mislabeling of fur products as “faux,” are speaking out against the substandard care and treatment of rabbits raised on European farms and whose fur can be sold in the U.S.
Though
the fur industry claims that rabbit fur is a by-product of the meat industry,
investigators visited some Portuguese farms where rabbits were raised solely for
their fur. Investigators noted inhumane handling practices, overcrowding, dead,
dying and diseased animals, and cruel slaughtering methods.
“The conditions documented in Portugal are not uncommon in the international rabbit fur industry,” says Monica Engebretson, project director for the Animal Protection Institute, which directs the Consumers for a Fur Free Society program (CFFS). “In the United States there are no federal laws governing how animals raised for fur should be housed or slaughtered. The absence of federal laws means that industry practices in the United States likely do not vary substantially from those documented in Portugal.”
Consumers for a Fur Free Society (CFFS) is asking retailers to drop all fur including rabbit fur from their inventories and to take a stand against the cruel international fur trade by putting their commitment in writing.
“U.S. consumers don’t respond well to the fact that body parts of companion animals are being used and then not clearly labeled on the products they buy,” adds Engebretson. “Retailers need to step up to the plate and prove that they are concerned about needless suffering by refusing to sell fur period.”
CFFS represents an international effort to provide consumers accurate information about a retailer’s fur policy, allowing consumers to make an informed choice when shopping. CFFS most recently asked designer Giorgio Armani to drop rabbit fur from his collections, noting, “We realize designers have many choices when it comes to what compromises their collections. Unfortunately, not all…have recognized…their direct contribution to a cruel and unnecessary industry by using fur.”
The CFFS program is supported and endorsed by the Fur Free Alliance, an international coalition of 35 leading animal and environmental protection organizations, representing more than 10 million members and supporters in the United States alone. For more information visit www.furfreeshopping.com
China is the source of most of the world’s fur products and undercover investigations have exposed horrific cruelty. On February 13, 2006 the first “International Day of Protest Against Chinese Fur” took place in cities around the world and was followed by a second one on February 7, 2007. It was a joint initiative of individuals and organizations whose purpose was to draw attention to the abuse and suffering of millions of innocent animals exploited for a barbaric industry.
Chinese merchants boast that cat and dog fur is cheaper to produce than “fake” fur. It is also dyed to resemble expensive fur and deliberately mislabelled or unlabelled altogether for export. The only way to determine the species of origin is by DNA testing. So, while it is perfectly legal to import cat and dog fur into Canada, the consumer has no way of knowing.
Vancouver’s demonstrations were held outside the Chinese Consulate on Granville Street.
A kiosk at one of our shopping malls had a number of trinkets and novelty ornamental items displayed for sale. A good number of them were life-like cat figures which appeared to be covered with real fur, but unlabelled. Upon questioning, the vendor told me it was rabbit fur although earlier in the day he told my friend it was polyester.
We let our concerns be known to the mall management, printed up some leaflets as hand-outs, and wrote letters to the municipal council. Not long after the vendor and his wares were gone.
Do Rabbits Scream?
October 2008 PETA has disturbing new undercover expose of rabbit fur farms from China and France.
In the video footage, workers pull rabbits out of cages by their ears and shoot the screaming animals in the head with captive-bolt guns, often multiple times. Rabbits with slit throats can be seen twitching and shaking, with their eyes wide open, before they die. You can also see and hear rabbits kicking and screaming during slaughter. After the skin is ripped from the rabbits' bodies, it is sold to designers such as Giorgio Armani—who uses rabbit fur in his new designs. http://blog.peta2.com/rabbits/
Comment: Take action to help shut down the vile fur industry. Write letters, sign petitions, hold demonstrations, or start your own campaign. Lead by example. If not you, then who?
Read more: http://www.rabbitadvocacy.com/undercover_video_rabbits_screami.htm
IN SOLIDARITY WITH THE ANIMALS
Fur-Free Friday 2012 Annual
events worldwide. This year activists from groups like Vancouver Animal Defense
League and Rabbit Advocacy were demonstrating outside Winners in downtown
Vancouver.
With 213 stores Canada wide, most
Canadians have no idea that Winners
is one of the largest, if not
THE largest retailers of
cheap cruel fur trimmed products in the country.
WINNERS sells fur from many different species like rabbits, mink and foxes and
dog fur, ALL raised on cruel fur farms in several different countries including
Canada, Netherlands, Greece, Finland and China. When contacting Winners in the
past regarding their sale of fur they have stated "as long as it is in style, we
will continue to sell it."
Read more: Competition Bureau Canada
November 12, 2015 Canada’s Textile Labelling Act is hopelessly outdated. The outgoing Conservative Party and PM Stephen Harper repeatedly ignored private members’ bills, petitions, letters from the public, and media outcry over such an antiquated Act. With a new Liberal government sweeping into power, we are hopeful new legislation is forthcoming. Legislation that will require the labelling of any and ALL fur, the identity of the species and the country of origin.
- The Final Nail: a directory of animal industries, for activists. Lab, fur, & slaughter businesses.
Animal rights group files complaint against Canada Goose; 2021 finally, Canada Goose to nix fur
Legislation pertaining to the fur industry - taking action to stop the cruel global fur industry ! End Canada’s archaic fur industry. Ongoing actions to ban it NOW! Contact your MP and MLA. See our Links & Gov't Contacts page +++++
U.S. retailers accused of mislabelling furs, HSUS files lawsuit