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About the Fur-Free Campaign


	Jim Robertson

The HSUS Fur-Free Campaign believes that animals need their fur more than we do.

Alternative fabrics, both natural and synthetic, eliminate the need to kill animals for this cruel product. Yet, each year more than 50 million animals are killed for their fur: dogs and cats, wolves, raccoon dogs, leopard cats, mink, foxes, bobcats, beavers, raccoons, sables, lynx, chinchillas—the list goes on and on.

Many—perhaps more than half—of these animals are killed not for fur coats, but specifically for decorative trim on collars or cuffs. Fur trim is not a byproduct, as many people believe.

The number of animals involved in producing a single garment can be surprisingly high. Just to put fur trim on a coat can require four animal pelts. Full length garments can take vastly more, depending on the size of the animal. Making a full length fox coat can take 27 animal pelts, a full length sable, 65. For even smaller animals like chinchilla, the number can be even higher.

The suffering that individual animals endure before dying can be staggering. Animals in the United States are often caught in traps rigged to hold them underwater—struggling and terrified—until they drown. Many other animals suffer for as long as several days in steel-jaw leghold traps—injured and exposed to the elements and predators—before the trapper returns to shoot or club them in the head. Foxes on fur farms are often killed by anal electrocution.

The HSUS Fur-Free Campaign is committed to ending the pointless cruelty and killing perpetrated in the name of fashion. Consumers can join us by buying and wearing fur-free garments only. Designers, retailers and other fashion industry insiders can help by only promoting and selling animal-friendly fashion. Ask others to visit this website to learn why they should support fur-free fashion.