The Fur is Flying

I have to believe that most people buy fur because they are unaware of the pain, suffering and unfathomable abuse that goes into obtaining fur from a living being.  To think otherwise would just make me so sad and despairing.  I have to wonder how else anyone could wear it?

I must be clear that in actuality, wearing fur is the same as wearing leather.  The one difference is that the issue of fur has been newsworthy for decades!  Knowing where fur comes from and the horrors of how it is procured is not new news!  While we don’t often see paint drenched fur coats on the street any more (thankfully, since that is really not the way to raise awareness), we all know that the wearing of fur is (surprisingly!) a divisive issue and that there is a very good reason why so many people are passionate about not wearing it.

I am keenly aware that I have absolutely no chance of changing someone’s mind about fur who doesn’t really care (Nina Garcia and Michael Kors head the list!), but for those of you who are still reading, I know you must truly want to understand so I will keep writing.

The truth is that whether you’re wearing a full-length fur coat, fur trim on your cuffs, or fur-lined gloves, although the volume might be different, the essence is the same.  The fur comes from the same place…and it’s not pretty!

“Each year more than 9 million wild animals are trapped worldwide and then clubbed, strangled and stomped for their pelts. Caught painfully in steel-jaw leghold traps, wire snares and conibear traps, many fur bearers try to free themselves by chewing off their own feet only to die later from shock and blood loss. This act of self-mutilation illustrates how incredible the pain caused by steel-jaw traps really is for wolves, beavers, coyotes, raccoons, opossums, skunks, and red and gray foxes. And for every “target” animal caught in one of these painful devices, two to ten times as many “non-target” animals are killed: hawks, owls, deer, and domestic cats and dogs.” (www.friendsofanimals.org)

And, that’s just the animals that are trapped.  Fur farms are equally as dreadful.  “There are no regulations protecting animals on fur ranches. Cages are typically kept in open sheds that provide little protection from wind, cold, or heat. In the winter, animals often have to endure sub-zero temperatures. Summers are particularly hard on minks because they lack the ability to cool their bodies without bathing in water.”  (www.friendsofanimals.org)

And, who wants a fur coat that has unsightly marks in it, I mean really!  All sarcasm aside, the animals are killed in gruesome ways just so nothing mars that beautiful fur and compromises its market value.  As a result, they are subjected to anal electrocution (fox), decompression chambers (doesn’t it feel hard to breathe just thinking of that!), or they can have their necks broken like most mink.

I absolutely cannot, in good conscience, wear something from a living being that endured that much misery.

Here’s the thing.  An animal’s fur is gorgeous so it makes sense that we’d admire it.  I look at Mickey’s tail (he’s my big orange kitty) and think, wow, how amazing is that plume of fur he walks around with every day, and Gracie, my little gray kitty, had fur that was bunny soft.  Would it ever, in a million years, occur to me to wear it?  Perish the thought!  And, I give the same respect to other living furry beings.

I can only hope that awareness will grow and people will look more and more for alternatives. I have to admit that I choose not to wear faux fur because, these days, it looks so real, and I don’t want someone to think I am wearing the real thing.  That’s my choice.  But, if you want the look you can have it without the bloodshed?

There are some amazing faux look-alikes.  Just check out www.fabulousfurs.com. Donna Salyers, President and founder of Fabulous-Furs, explains how it all began . . .“Inspiration for Fabulous-Furs came nearly two decades ago when I was on my way to purchase a mink coat. On my car radio, Paul Harvey described kittens being skinned to become “mink” teddy bears. Instead of buying a coat that day, I was inspired to create a luxurious alternative. Not in my wildest dreams did I imagine that Fabulous-Furs would evolve into fine ready-to-wear, attracting a clientele of high-profile, internationally recognized celebrities. As a real-life Cinderella, it’s fabulous to see our guilt-free products in movies, on TV and Broadway. It’s gratifying to know that our products, in providing a luxurious alternative to real animal fur, bring joy to people all over the world, and at the same time, make unnecessary the destruction of countless animals.”

Or, here’s a pretty faux fur jacket from Nordstrom:

I really thought that fur was becoming more “unfashionable” to wear until I saw the article in Vogue, and my heart sank.  The fact is that it is not prestigious, elegant or in any way necessary to wear fur.  We can live without it so why not let the animals keep it as it was meant to be.