While there are many aspects of animal rights I am passionate about- The Anti Fur Movement is one I care about a great deal.  I abhor wearing fur. I think it's possibly one of the most grotesque and perverse things a human being can do- especially in our society where we have other sources of material at our disposal at much more affordable prices. This isn't the stone age- we do not need to run around in our loin cloth and bag on our chests anymore.

I've had so many people ask me "whats wrong with fur?"

Are you kidding me?

Aside from the fact you are willingly draping yourself in a corpse like Hannibal Fucking Lector- I'll tell you what's wrong with fur :

#1- Living conditions

When animals are not brutally hunted for their fur- they are often raised in large quantities on 'fur farms'. These fur farms rival the horrors of a factory farms we've all come to know- the animals are caged in extremely small enclosures, often with other cage mates limiting room to move and function to a minimum. These cages are filthy, often riddled with feces, debris, and bacteria. Animals on fur factory farms are fed meat byproducts considered unfit for human consumption. Water is provided by a nipple system, which often freezes in the winter and can also fail because of human error. Such vile living conditions cause the animals to be in poor health, many suffering from illnesses and injuries that are NEVER attended to, because lets face it- no one cares about the animal under the fur.

"Rows of cages are often housed in giant, dark, filthy sheds or barns where the ammonia from the animals' accumulated urine and feces burns their eyes and lungs, or they may simply be lined up outdoors, where animals have no protection from bone-chilling cold, driving rain, or sweltering heat. Parasites and disease run rampant on fur farms, making these animals' already miserable lives even more unbearable."

 

(Note: Fur farms are not the only culprits- millions of raccoons, coyotes, wolves, bobcats, opossums, nutria, beavers, otters, and other fur-bearing animals are killed every year for the clothing industry by trappers. Trapping is a cruel painful, barbaric method of hunting and causes the animals severe pain)

#2- 'Harvesting" the fur

Fur farmers only concern is preserving the quality of the fur. Because of this-  they use slaughter methods that keep the pelts intact but that can result in extreme suffering for the animals. Some animals even wake up while they are being skinned. Animals have clamps attached to or rods forced into their mouths and anuses, and they are painfully electrocuted.Other animals are poisoned with strychnine, which suffocates them by paralyzing their muscles with painful, rigid cramps. Neck-breaking is another common slaughter method on fur factory farms.

And if you think all of those methods or horrible- this is even worse (but not surprising) There are absolutely no federal humane slaughter law protects animals on fur factory farms.( Not that there is any such thing as 'humane slaughter to begin with!)  All of which is mentioned is considered acceptable on a federal level.

#3-  Your fur coat used to be dozens of beautiful creatures.

To make ONE fur coat, it requires the corpses of at least fifty-five wild mink, thirty-five ranched mink, forty sables, eleven lynx, eighteen red foxes, eleven silver foxes, one hundred chinchillas, thirty rex rabbits, nine beavers, thirty muskrats, fifteen bobcats, twenty-five skunks, fourteen otters, one hundred twenty-five ermines, thirty possums, one hundred squirrels, or twenty-seven raccoons.

All of those lives- lost. For what? Fashion? Outdated Morals?

I don't know about you, but presented with that little bit of information is enough to keep far away from anything containing fur and the people who wear it. I disgusts me to no end that people, even when presented with the truth still choose to ignore the suffering THEY cause just so they can run around all 'la dee da' and 'classy' in their fur coats, gloves,hats, boots, ect. Wearing fur is Anything but 'classy' and it's certainly a fashion statement we can all do without.

Please boycott fur this season and make people aware that Fur is not Fashionable.

PS( I know many people opt out for 'faux fur' but there come concerns with so called 'fake fur as well. Imported clothing can often contain the 'fake' fur of cats and dogs. Domestic animal fur farming is being brought into the spotlight and many consumers are finding out that the the faux fur they bought is actually the fur of a cat or dog. The chemical conditioning and coloring processes fur goes through make it very difficult to determine whether or not your faux fur is indeed fake. So play it safe! Avoid fur (real or faux) at all costs. Lets be honest- it looks best on the animals anyway!

And remember- Compassion NEVER goes out of fashion