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Fur - A Cruel and Ugly Fashion?
The Fur Trade Today
Fur is supplied by two means: farmed fur-bearing animals and trapped fur-bearing animals.
Fur Farms
Fur-farming is the practice of breeding or raising certain animals for their fur. For a list of farmed fur-bearing animals, go here.
The industry they want you to see……
From a pro-fur perspective there is nothing cruel about the farming of animals for their fur. As proudly endorsed by the International Fur Trade Federation, the fur farming of today is the result of over “100 years of selective breeding, combined with good nutrition, housing and veterinary care”. Also farmed fur-bearing animals are domesticated and are “one of the world’s best cared-for farm animals“.
The International Fur Trade Federation website shows idyllic and peaceful country settings. Housing systems involve the mink being housed in sheds four metres wide. Each shed being open-sided with roofing panels. Normal temperature and light conditions are provided, while protecting the animals from direct sunlight, wind and rain. Foxes are housed in similar sheds. Both animals are kept in wired cages raised off the ground to allow good hygiene.
With concern to mink farming, nest boxes are available year-round. Each nest box is bedded with wood shaving or straw to ensure ideal breeding conditions, warmth and comfort.
Both mink kits and fox cubs remain in the same cage as their mothers until weaned at the age of 7 - 8 weeks. The young animals are then housed in small groups through their growth periods. Those needed for breeding purposes are selected among the mature animals late in the autumn and housed separately.
Those animals that are not needed for breeding are supposedly “killed quickly and humanely”. Although the International Fur Trade Federation pride themselves on following the conditions as stipulated by national and European law and North American provincial/state laws, nowhere on their site do they actually explain how the animals are killed and by what methods
In the U.S there is no federal humane slaughter law protecting animals in fur farms, and therefore the killing methods are often gruesome. Because the pelt is the only thing of worth to the farmers, as long as that is kept intact, the animal often suffers. For details of the various killing methods used on fur farms, go here.
What they don’t want you to know or see…..
Just like all other forms of farming used today, the need for quick supply and profit means the welfare of the animal is next to nil. As with all large scale animal farms, the methods used on fur factory farms are focused on maximizing profits rather on the physical or psychological welfare of the animals.
In Europe there are some 6,500 registered fur farms. In North America there are some 1,135 mink, fox and chinchilla farms that are registered. Most of the farms are small scale and family-ran and unlike large scale farms, they often run unmonitored.
Numerous investigations of small fur farms have revealed living conditions far from those described by the Fur Federation. Animals have been known to be packed into small cages, preventing any movement. There is no stimulation for these curious animals.
Studies of captive mink by Zoologists at Oxford University found that despite generations of being bred for fur, minks have not been domesticated, contrary to that claimed by the Fur Industry:
“Well the mink is a very curious animal, it’s very inquisitive and is very playful and normally when you come into a farm, they will stick up their head and see what is happening.
The present housing system consists of a pen and a nest box for the minks so they can have a place to sleep, so in general they are pretty well cared for.
“I would say that the mink is domesticated in most senses of the word. There are some different signs of domestication, for instance, their brain size and a lot of other characteristics. In that respect, I would say that mink is domesticated.”
Dr Steen H Møller, Senior Scientist, Department of Animal Health & Welfare, Danish Institute of Agricultural Sciences
 However, many studies from various zoologists and animal behaviorists show that mink do suffer greatly in captivity, especially if they are not given the opportunity to show natural behaviours, such as swimming which would be normal in the natural wetland habitat. By nature they are solitary animals so overcrowding and confinement are extremely distressing to them - leading to unnatural behaviours such as self mutilation - ranging from biting their skin, tails, and feet - and frantically pacing and circling endlessly. Cannibalism has also been observed in some overcrowded conditions. Contrary to comfortable temperatures being monitored, fur farms have been known to decrease the temperature to past 0 degrees Celsius to stimulate fur growth to become thicker and more luxurious.
Farmers argue that young mink and foxes are not solitary animals while young and do better when housed with others. Farmers claim that any poor health and negative behaviour shown by the animal is dealt with by changing and improving living conditions to reach a balance between what is practical for them and what is beneficial for the animals. If left in the wild, mink and foxes show investigative and active behaviours which are not catered for in a wired cage. The best way to allow for maximum opportunity for natural behaviour on a farm would mean large outdoor areas consisting of trees, rocks, water and other natural features. This will allow the animal to perform natural behaviours such as digging, climbing, scavenging and swimming. However, farmers refuse to use large enclosures due to the claim in minimising high disease rates, as well as the costs of operation. To the farmer, this is not practical nor profitable.
Trapped Fur-bearing Animals
Approximately 10 million animals are trapped for their fur each year. Countries such as the U.S, Canada, and Russia account for most of the world’s wild fur production.
As stipulated by the International Fur Trade Federation the term coined to wild animals used for fur is that of “wild fur-bearers”. They view trapping as an important “component of wildlife management programmes” with comprehensive laws and regulations being in place. This is false as all traps used are non-selective - for each target animal trapped, approximately two non-target animals are caught. These non-target animals include dogs, cats, squirrels, and even endangered species and birds of prey that are attracted to the baited sets.
It also claims that no species used for fur is endangered by over exploitation.
This is not true. Many species in some regions of the wilds of the Great Lakes states, Pennsylvania and New England in the USA, Quebec and Ontario in Canada, have been listed as scarce bordering on endangered.
Trapped animals are rarely killed quickly. The majority of trapped animals die desperate, agonizing deaths.
The steel jaw leghold trap is the most common trap used by the fur industry, followed by the wire snare, and the Conibear body-gripping trap that crushes the animal.
In 1997, an Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS) was signed by Canada, Russia, and the EU. A similar, but separate agreement was signed between the USA and The EU.
The Agreement states that harmonised standards must ensure a sufficient level of welfare for animals trapped for any purpose, and to further improve this welfare. Also, all trapping must be done as “humanely as possible”
But is there any such thing as humane trapping? 88 countries and 5 U.S states have banned the leghold trap because of its inherent cruelty and because it is non-selective- trapping any animal that steps into it. However, the use of fur from animals trapped in this manner abroad is still legal in those countries.
Countries that still allow the leghold trap to be legal are Australia, China, USA, Canada, Korea, France, Spain, Russia, and Eastern Europe.
In an attempt to allay public concern over the cruelty of trapping and to stave off bans on the use of certain traps, the fur trade has funded what it considers “humane trap research”. One example involved monitoring how long it took for an animal to drown. Animals were put into traps and held under water whilst their struggle for life were observed and monitored. It was found that the ‘average’ beaver struggled for 9.5 minutes whilst for another larger animals, it was 25 minutes before the heart stopped beating. Yet, the fur trade argues that drowning is a humane method of killing.
Fur-farming has been banned in many countries. Scotland banned fur farms in 2002, followed by England and Wales in 2003. However, fur from abroad can still be sold in the UK. Some European countries have taken steps to restrict, phase-out or ban fur farming. For example, Switzerland’s stringent legislation prevents cage-rearing of animals, and in the Netherlands, farming of foxes and chinchillas has been banned.
Massive anti-fur campaigns by PETA and other animal rights groups during the 1970s and 1980s raised public awareness of this cruel practice. Many celebrities joined in with many taking part in the “I’d rather be naked than wear fur” advertising campaign. The majority of people started to oppose the use of fur causing a drop in fur sales.
Unfortunately, fur is slowly making a comeback. Many celebrities are now seen wearing fur products with many using fur in their fashion label.
It is also being used as a trim in many jackets, gloves, hats, scarves and bags etc. Its availability and affordability is largely due to China’s massive fur industry. In China, fur mainly from dogs, cats and rabbits are being mislabeled as mink, fox or chinchilla and sold to Europe, US and Australia. Undercover investigations of China’s fur farms showed disturbing footage of animals being crammed into filthy boxes with no food or water. Since China has very poor animal welfare laws, most animals are skinned alive. For more information about this horrifying trade, go here.
Thats Horrible! What Can I do?
- Don’t buy or wear fur, or anything with a fur trim. If you like the look of fur, then buy Faux fur (false fur)
- You don’t have to wear fur to be seen as cool or beautiful. Despite models and celebrities promoting fur, it is cruel and barbaric. There are many synthetic alternatives available that look just like the real thing. The quality of today’s faux fur is awesome and most times it is hard to tell the difference. By checking the tag to see what material it is made from, make sure it reads ‘synthetic’. With fur trims, check the base of where the fur meets the area of clothing it is attached to. If synthetic you should see a weave-like texture. Real fur does not have this base.
- If you see a friend or family member wearing fur ask them if its real. If they admit that it is real, tell them about the fur industry. The more people who are aware, the better chance we have of putting an end to this cruel and barbaric trade.
- Many fashion or clothing shops may not be aware that they are selling real fur products. If you do come across a store, ask them. If they are not sure ask them to check as it is your right as a consumer to know about the product you are purchasing. If they are aware of selling real fur, then give them info. If they refuse to stop selling fur, then visit the Student Revolution page on how you can go about making a difference.
Check out: the Fur Is Dead Site for more info, celebrities that fight the fur trade, images and vids.
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