FEATURE: THE TRUE COST OF FUR
It is no surprise that Fashionboss CEO, Brittany Rawlings, is an immense supporter of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA is one of the world’s largest animal rights organization with over 3 million members and staff personnel. Exposing cruelty of animal treatment globally, PETA focuses on the most tragic forms of violence, which are present in factory farms, in the clothing trade, in laboratories, and in the entertainment business.
The presence of animal cruelty has been swept into the realm of fashion and entertainment for decades. Fur has become a trademark accouterment to the stars and the glorious. Make-up and cosmetics are not always “cruelty-free” meaning the chemically formulated prototypes are tested on animals before safety-approved items are sold to the mass market. Our four legged friends are guinea pigs to mass consumerism. But there are ways to defend against these atrocities.
PETA says to disengage from any fur product. According to recent investigatory work provided by PETA Germany and PETA Asia, rampant fur tades in China are selling cat and dog furs and labeling them as “rabbit” or “Asian jackal.” Horrendous practices and filthy conditions have been recorded by PETA witnessing claustrophobic cages imprisoning dogs and cats with some that still donned their collars. Transported in dingy trucks, the pets are hoarded like supplies rather than living creatures leading to severe health deterioration mentally and physically. The journey is too much for their frail bodies leading to deaths within their jails forcing the half-alive in with the dead. Cowering in fear, these helpless beings are subjected to unethical treatment because fur trade purveyors want to save a few dollars rather than use “kinder” killing methods.
The kindest method is to not kill and let this creatures keep their fur.
PETA has already convinced top designers like Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, and Polo Ralph Lauren to rescind the use of fur on previous collections and to keep fur off future presentations. With more support we could gradually eradicate large imports of fur, lowering supply & demand, and perhaps get rid of the cruel cheap savagery that has become of mass fur production. Images of these unspeakable operations are not for the weak of heart and cleaves into your mind the true cost of fur.
Due to the disturbing nature of the investigatory photographs, we have opted to post PETA protest photographs.
