To whom it may concern, It is my understanding that your stores currently stock and sell fur products. This is of great concern due to the cruelty implicit in its production – all animals killed for fur, whether they are trapped in the wild or intensively farmed, experience immense suffering prior to death. I appeal to you to respond to the inherent cruelty in fur production by removing all fur products from your stores and signing up to be an official fur-free retailer - furfreeretailer. Despite the industry promoting the image of fur products as being naturally sourced, 85% of fur used in fashion now comes from animals raised on factory farms. Here the fur industry makes large profits as millions of animals are crammed into tiny barren cages, keeping production costs low. Fur farms are remarkably uniform around the world with animals left to stand on metal bars for their entire lives. In addition to the tens of millions of animals farmed for their fur each year, millions of others, including bobcats, coyotes, foxes, lynx, raccoons and wolves, are trapped in the wild using devices such as steel-jaw leghold traps, body-gripping traps and wire neck snares – all of which inflict a great amount of pain and intense suffering. When the animals, wild or farmed, are slaughtered, the methods chosen – which are known to routinely include gassing, neck breaking, electrocution and live skinning – are designed to protect the pelts from damage without any consideration for the animals’ welfare. There is no such thing as “ethical” or “high welfare” fur – such claims are simply marketing tactics used by the industry in an attempt to hide the fact that all fur production causes immense physical pain and emotional distress. In addition, there is a common misconception that rabbit fur is a by-product of the rabbit meat industry; however, intensive rabbit meat production techniques are incompatible with production standards for fur pelts. In order to obtain good quality pelts, rabbits cannot be slaughtered until after their first winter moult, by which time the meat would be too tough for standard human consumption, so the two industries breed and kill rabbits separately. The misery caused by the inadequately regulated and inherently inhumane fur industry is widespread wherever the production is based in the world; for example, the horrors of fur farming are regularly exposed even in countries that it is permitted within Europe, where there is often legislation in place which should protect some of the animals’ most basic needs. In light of the extreme animal suffering involved in the industry, several countries have already banned the production of fur. Fur farming is prohibited in the United Kingdom, Austria and Croatia, and other countries, such as Sweden and Switzerland, have legislation which effectively outlaws fur farming by making it economically unviable. In addition to government policies changing around the world, many national and international retailers, including H&M, Topshop and Marks and Spencer, have ceased selling fur and solidified their fur-free commitment by joining the international Fur Free Retailer programme. You have the opportunity to send a vital message to the fur industry and to concerned customers like me: to breed and kill animals just for fashion or perceived luxury is at complete odds with contemporary views of animal sentience and the growing international concern for animal welfare. For a list of retailers that have already signed up to the Fur Free Retailer scheme, please visit the following websites: • Fur Free Retailer Scheme (furfreeretailer/index.php) • HSUS’s list of Fur-Free Retailers, Designers, and Brands (humanesociety.org/issues/fur_fashion/tips/fur-free_shopping.html) After considering this information I hope you will decide to remove all fur from your stores. I look forward to hearing your thoughts. Yours sincerely,
Posted on: Fri, 29 Nov 2013 00:31:56 +0000
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