It can take 40 or more animals to make a fur coat, but only one person to make a difference. Here are some easy ways to stop the suffering that animals endure for fur and fur trim.

1. Take the Fur-Free Pledge

Help save mink, foxes, rabbits, and other furbearers from suffering in the name of "fashion" by signing the fur-free pledge. You'll join more than 76,000 people who have already taken the pledge.

2. Check Out Department Stores

Department stores are the largest retail outlets for fur apparel. Many sell fur, especially fur-trimmed items, in the same departments as synthetic fur. We believe most customers would prefer to purchase faux fur over animal fur, but sometimes they just don't know if that bit of fur trim is real or not. It simply isn't labeled. And with today's technology, synthetic fur looks and feels surprisingly real.

Visit your local department stores and see what kind of fur products they are selling, how they are labeled, and what the salespeople know about their products. Voice your objections to the sales clerk or store manager.  Write, email or call department stores, such as Neiman Marcus, that sell real fur and fur trim and ask them to go fur free. 

Alert shoppers to the fact that the stores at which they shop may be contributing to the suffering of animals. Pass out brochures describing the inherent cruelty of the fur industry. Order free posters and brochures online. If you are interested in organizing a demonstration, contact us at furfree@hsus.org. 

3. Ask Questions

Ask your friends and family what they know about the furry trim on their jacket. Is it real or fake? Do they even know? Many people assume that if they didn't pay hundreds of dollars for the coat, the trim must be synthetic. This is not always true. They may have purchased animal fur without even knowing it.

Did you see fur-like apparel on a TV show or in a movie? Wondering if it is real or fake? Contact the studio to find out. Let studio executives know that viewers are monitoring the use of animal fur. Ask that a disclaimer be added to the credits stating that only synthetic fur was used.

4. Support Anti-Trapping Legislation

Ask your U.S. Senators and Representative to co-sponsor legislation banning the steel-jaw leghold trap in the United States and to ban commercial and recreational trapping on national wildlife refuges and other public lands.

Learn the current status of anti-trapping and other fur-related legislation by visiting The HSUS Government Affairs Section.

5. Celebrate Fur Free Holidays in Your Own Community

The day after Thanksgiving is one of the largest shopping days of the year. This is a perfect opportunity to urge consumers not to buy fur products, and "Fur-Free Friday" events take place in many cities. Join our online community for notices about these events in your area and other issues of interest.

Wish your neighbors a Fur Free Holiday with a festive yard sign. November is an ideal time to convert political candidates' yard signs into a seasonal greeting of compassion and goodwill toward all. Just tack an anti-fur poster over the sign.

6. Speak Out

Feel tongue-tied when it comes to voicing your concerns about the cruelty of the fur industry? The HSUS has made activism easier with I'm not a coat anti-fur cards that you can distribute to fur-clad members of the public. The cards put a spotlight on the sheer number of animals killed for each coat, while reminding people of a fur coat's original owner. Click here to order a supply of free cards to promote compassion in fashion.

Contact your local radio station and ask to be a guest on the talk or community service show. Urge listeners to have a Fur Free Holiday and a fur free millennium.

7. Write Letters

Compose and send letters and opinion editorials to your local paper explaining why it is important to be fur free. And write to them when you read fur fashion articles or see fur advertisements, too.

8. Post Billboards

Post a fur-free billboard in your community. The HSUS will supply the billboard; all you have to do is cover the cost of having it posted. Contact us for more information.

9. Involve Your Community

Team up with local wildlife rehabilitators to collect old fur garments. Many people have unwanted fur coats, hats, wraps, etc. Offer them the opportunity to donate the fur to use as bedding to comfort orphaned and injured wildlife. (If you don't know a rehabilitator in your area, inquire with your local humane society, animal control agency, or veterinarian or click here.)

Give copies of The HSUS's Trapping Case Report form to your local veterinarians and animal shelters. Ask them to keep it on file in the event that a trapping victim is brought to them. The information we collect from these forms helps us to enact bans on cruel and indiscriminate traps.

10. Publicize Your Efforts

Don't forget to draw attention to all of your events and activities. Send out press releases and follow up with phone calls. Ask local media outlets to give you public service time to announce your events.