Fur Is Not a Fashion Statement

476 Words2 Pages
Fur is not a fashion statement: Humans have been using animal skins and furs in clothing for centuries. With a growing demand for fur and leather over the past century, clothing produced from animals has gone from being functional to being fashionable. Mass production of fur and leather items has created a harsh system of fur farming, trapping, and skinning which has sparked uproar among animal rights activists. With the current demand for animal clothing, approximately 31 million animals are killed in fur farms each year. Sheep and cows are bred and slaughtered; foxes and rabbits caged and killed, wild animals shot or trapped, to make clothes and shoes from their skin and fur. People need to protect themselves from the elements, but this doesn't provide justification for depriving animals of their freedom and life, especially when there are so many animal-free alternatives available to us. Many of us have seen shocking images of animals suffering in cages on fur farms or being gassed, electrocuted or skinned alive. As a result many people now reject fur. However, leather and sheepskin continue to be in high demand. Rarely do we question the fact that leather and sheepskin are also the skin of an animal, which has been tanned and treated with a cocktail of chemicals to avoid decomposition and obtain the desired colour. While many people would think twice before wearing fur, they make an exception for leather or sheepskin because it is usually thought to be a 'by-product' of the meat industry. In reality, they are far from being by-products: paying for leather and sheepskin adds substantially to the slaughterhouse value of the dead animal and financially supports the meat industry. The multimillion pound leather industry is such a big business it would sustain itself even if the meat industry were to end tomorrow. During fur production a significant number of
Open Document