About 40 million animals worldwide, and 2 million in Canada, are murdered every year for their fur. Many animals such as minks, foxes, chinchillas, lynxes, and even hamsters are raised on fur “ranches”, or factory farms (1,2). Rabbits are also specially raised for their fur. Once a by-product of the meat industry, the requirements for thick pelt of older animals (rabbits are typically killed at the age of 10 to 12 weeks) implies that few skins are now retrieved from slaughterhouses (3). On fur farms, animals live in horrific conditions. Their cages are filthy and extremely small, which prevents the animals from carrying out their natural behavior. Minks, for example, have a range of about 2 and a half mile of riverbank in the wild. On farms, they are crowded in cages about the size of a tea tray. They are also deprived from the possibility to swim, which they greatly suffer from (5). Foxes occupy a territory of about 15, 000 acres in their forest home. Fur farms allow them a cage of one square meter, shared with another fox. Raccoons and all other fur animals suffer equally on fur farms. As a reaction to their crowded confinement, farmed animals resort to unnatural psychotic behavior such as bar-biting, pacing, self-mutilation and even cannibalism to escape the boredom, stress and frustration. Animals on fur farms are also more susceptible to diseases that their free-roaming counterparts. Contagious diseases such as pneumonia are passed from cage to cage rapidly, as are fleas, ticks, lice and mites. Also, disease carrying flies thrive in the piles of rotting wastes that collect under the cages, for months. Because the main concern of the fur industry is to preserve the quality of the fur, farmers use slaughter methods that keep the pelts intact but result in extreme suffering for the animals. Methods of killing farmed animals range from lethal injection (which can take up to 10 minutes to kill the convulsing animal) to anal or vaginal electrocution. In the latest case, the animals have clamps or a rod applied to their mouths while rods are inserted into their anuses or vaginas and they are painfully electrocuted. Genital or anal electrocution are very crude killing methods that cause animals the pain of cardiac arrest while they are fully conscious. Other killing methods include gassing, suffocation, decompression chambers, neck-snapping, and poisoning. Strychnine poisoning suffocates the animals by paralyzing their muscles in painful rigid cramps. Hot, unfiltered engine exhaust from a truck might also be used to poison small animals crammed into boxes. Investigations have revealed that all these methods leave many animals only stunned before being skinned alive. 85% of the world’s fur comes from fur farms. Investigations of fur farms in China, the world’s largest exporter of fur, has revealed horrific abuse inflicted on the animals. Watch (http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=fur_farm) for more information. Another investigation there also revealed the plight of millions of cats and dogs, bludgeoned, hanged, bled to death, and strangled with wire nooses so that their fur can be turned into trim and trinkets (http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=jcruel_china_dog_UK). Remember however, that the situation documented there is very similar to what happens on any other fur farm around the world, including Nova Scotia, which has over 125 fur farms (this accounts for 10% of North America’s fur farms). In 1999, Nova Scotia boasted 63 mink farms and 36 fox farms, slaughtering over 332,000 animals (6). Although the majority of animals slaughtered for their fur come from factory farms, 10 million raccoons, coyotes, wolves, bobcats, opossums, nutria, beavers, otters and other fur bearing animals are caught every year by traps (7). Those animals endure a different type of suffering depending on the type of trap used. The Conibear Trap (such as the Magnum or the Sauvageau) has been developed to be an instant-kill trap. However, if the animal happens not to be the “right size” for the size of the trap, not come into the trap at the “right speed” and from the “right angle”, etc., the trap instead works as a body-holding trap that clamps onto various parts of the animal’s body, like the shoulder, neck or abdomen, where it restrains and crushes him or her alive until the trapper returns. Referred justly by trappers as “Body-Gripper”, it can cause horrendous pain and a slow and agonizing death. More often used, the Snare is a wire loop that encircles the animal’s body (leg, abdomen, neck, etc.). As the animal struggles, the loop tightens more and more. In some cases, the animal will slowly strangle himself or herself, choking to death. In other cases, he/she will stay alive and suffer until the trapper returns to kill him/her. The steel jaw leg-hold trap is the most common kind of trap used in Canada, and in the whole of North America, particularly to target bobcats, lynxes, wolves, coyotes, foxes, beavers, muskrats, minks, and otters. It does not kill but traps and holds the animal alive in steel jaws. The so-called “padded” leg-hold trap only differs from the regular steel jawed leg-hold trap by a thin piece of synthetic material stuck onto the powerful steel jaws. Other modified traps include the “offset” trap, a regular steel jawed leg-hold trap with a 3/16” gap between the closed steel jaws, and the “laminated” trap, a regular steel jawed leg-hold trap with extra steel added to the jaws to make them slightly wider (thicker). These modified traps were developed by the fur industry to make the traps seem less cruel in the public eyes. Yet, these traps, like the regular leg-hold trap, still slam with excruciating power on the legs, necks, paws, muzzles, or torsos of terrified animals who stepped on their spring. Animals caught in leg-hold traps frantically struggle in excruciating pain as the trap cuts into their flesh, often down to the bone, mutilating the foot or leg. Many animals chew off their own limbs in a desperate attempt at escape. This is especially common in racoons. A 1980 study found that as many as one out of every four racoons caught in a leg hold trap would chew its foot off to escape. This is also the case for mothers desperate to get back to their young, who will fight desperately, chewing or twisting off their trapped limb. Other research has shown that padded traps cause injury to 97% of the coyotes that they ensnare. Many animals knock out their teeth as they bite at the jaws of the traps. The animals are typically left in these traps for between one and three days, and sometimes longer. Whatever the kind of traps used, the animals caught often die from starvation, hypothermia, shock, dehydration, exhaustion, exposure, frostbite, blood loss, infection, gangrene or an attack by another animals. Because of this frequent mutilation of animals by predators before trappers return, pole traps are often used. A pole trap is a form of leg hold trap that is set in a tree or on a pole. Animals caught in these traps are hoisted into the air and left to hang by the caught appendage until they die or the trapper arrives to kill them. Animal found still alive in a trap are stomped on by the trappers (which crushes their lungs), shot or clubbed. Victims of water-set traps, including beavers and muskrats, can take up to 20 agonizing minutes to drown. Traps also cripple and kill thousands of dogs, cats, and other non-target animals , often on private property without the owners’ consent, as permitted by Nova Scotia law. Fur Trim: As fur coats are getting out of style, furriers are resorting to promoting other items with fur lining or fur trim, such as coats, gloves, boots, hats, etc. They say it serves as a good introduction to fur for the consumer– something to get them hooked, hopefully persuading them to buy a fur coat. It is estimated that 46% of fur is used for fur trim, and 90% of foxes raised on fur farms end up as fur trim. Animals killed for fur trim will soon outnumber those being slaughtered to make into all-fur garments. The fur trim industry generates more than $500 million annually in the US. For the fur industry, fur trim is considered repeat business, given that a cheap coat is replaced every couple of years whereas a full fur coat often lasts for 20 years. Company and consumer demand for fur trim allows less emphasis to be placed on pelt quality, colour and uniformity, and has driven up the price for lower-grade pelts. This means less emphasis is put on the care and quality of life for trapped and farmed animals. The quality of their care in farms and as trapped animals can be more deplorable than ever before. WHAT YOU CAN DO! Instead of fur, purchase warmer, lighter and longer-lasting synthetics. Be careful of synthetics with fur trim. Many fashion designers disguise fur by dying it, shearing it short and cleverly incorporating it into their designs – making it an apparently fashionable thing to wear. Manufacturers have disguised fur so much that it is sometimes hard to tell real fur from fake fur, and cost is not a determining factor, as affordable coats can still have fur trim. In fact, small scraps of fur are affordable for companies – it is the cumulative price of fur that is high. Unfortunately, most stores will not be able to tell you if the trim is synthetic or real fur. Even some customer service reps don’t know or won’t tell. A few years ago, Sears sold coats with trim labelled as fox fur yet claimed in a written response that they don’t sell any real fur and haven’t for decades. So, check labels! Many clothing companies list the materials for their coat, omitting the trim’s material. Be aware that many coats with fur trim don’t have the tags at the neck where you’d expect - but rather attach their tags in hard-to-find places. It’s often found inside the coat on the side seam– nearer to the bottom of the coat. Also, the label sometimes just reads “exclusive of trim.” When you see this, assume the fur is real. If the tag does not specify the trim as faux, fake or synthetic fibre, assume that it’s real! Be also aware that the Textiles Labeling Act has loopholes which allow many articles to not have clear labeling. Many items do not have to list certain types of materials, and fur trim often gets through this loophole. Challenge the Textiles Labeling Act whenever you notice deceiving fur-trimmed labels. If you love the look of fur, choose a faux-fur alternative and let your friends, family, and acquaintances know that you’ve chosen to save animals’ lives. Cruelty-free faux furs made of plush modern synthetics are becoming easier to find. However, consider that you are still promoting the look of fur. Write to companies, designers, magazines, and celebrities who sell, wear, give away as prizes or promote fur or fur trim and tell them why it is a cruel and outdated idea. When you see people wearing fur, tell them the facts about trapping and fur farms. Educate others on the cruelty behind even “just a little”’ fur. If you already own a fur garment, or have fur that was left to us by a family member, donate it to wildlife rehabilitators, who use the furs for orphaned and injured wildlife. Educate others about the fur industry's environmental claims! The fur industry promotes its product as a “natural” and environment friendly fabric. In reality, fur production destroys the environment. The energy needed to produce a real fur coat from ranch-raised animal skins is approximately 20 times that needed for a fake fur. Raising animals in intensive conditions, such as fur farms, consumes excessive amounts of water and energy, and pollutes the environment. For instance, approximately 44 pounds of feces are excreted per mink skinned by fur farmers. Based on the total number of minks skinned in the U.S. in 1999 (2.81 million), mink factory farms generate approximately 62,000 tons of manure per year. One result is nearly 1,000 tons of phosphorus, which wreaks havoc in water ecosystems. Also, fur does not biodegrade. Formaldehyde, chromium, and other dangerous carcinogens are used in the processing of pelts to stop the fur from rotting. These chemicals are released into the environment with runoff water from these facilities.
References: (1) “Facts on Furs”, International Fur Trade Federation, 2000. (2) “To Make 1 of These...You need 183 of These”, E.S Magazine, 27, Oct, 2000. (3) Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, The Rabbit: Husbandry, Health and Production, No. 21 (Rome:1997) (4) “Minks”, The Nebraska Game and Parks Commission. (5) “What Captive Minks Miss Most - Swimming”, Reuters, 28 Feb. 2001. (6) Statistics Canada (7) Richard Donovan, “Leg hold Traps are Barbaric and Indiscriminate Killers”, Idaho Statesman, 30 Aug. 2002. |
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