Fur and Fashion

It's been a few years since Animal Liberation NSW ran an anti-fur campaign and based on the increase in fur being bought and worn by Australians, it is time to educate everyone about the hidden cruelty behind this fashion statement.

Millions of animals are either being captured in traps or languising in fur farms. These animals are awaiting their death so people can wear their dead skin.

Between the two types of fur sources, it is fur farming that makes up 85% of the industry's pelt turnover. Although production figures of mink and fox vary annually, the average turnover is more than 35 million each year and on the increase. (info from: The International Fur Trade Federation website, 2008)

Fur Farms

The Internatational Fur Trade Federation (IFTF) pride themselves on what they do and represent. If you were to head to their website it shows idyllic and peaceful country settings. They reinforce the notion that the animals have to be kept in clean, hygenic conditions and must be well cared for. They also claim to endorse high animal welfare standards. However, just like so many other animals "farmed" in today's world, animals are kept in wire cages and in large sheds. And just like any other intensively kept animal, all chances of performing natural behaviours and instincts are next to nil.

In North America the two most common farmed fur-bearing animals are minks (Mustela vison) and foxes (Vulpes vulpes and Alopex lagopus). These are followed by such animals as nutria (Myocastor coypus), chinchilla (Chinchilla lanigera), fitch (Mustela putorius and Mustela eversmanni), sable (Martes zibellina) and finn raccoon (Nyctereutes procyonoides).

With concern to mink farming, most farms are in Europe (around 70%), and North America (around 20%). The remaining percentage are situated in countries such as the Ukraine, Argentina and China.

Fur-farming has been banned in many countries. Scotland banned fur farms in 2002, followed by England and Wales in 2003. However, fur from abroad can still be sold in the UK. Some European countries have taken steps to restrict, phase-out or ban fur farming. For example, Switzerland's stringent legislation prevents cage-rearing of animals, and in the Netherlands, farming of foxes and chinchillas has been banned.

Killing Methods

The International Fur Trade Federation site does not explain how the animals are killed AND by what methods. They do, however, go to great lengths to describe the husbandry and breeding of their animals, but do not ever mention how the animals are killed.

And it's no surprise. In the U.S there is no federal humane slaughter protecting animals in fur farms. China, which is now becoming the industry's leading exporter of fur, has NO animal welfare laws whatsoever. Since there are no laws to reinforce the slaughter methods, many animals are often killed in the most gruesome manner. Since it's the pelt that is the only thing of value, as long as it is kept intact, the animal often suffers.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), all killing methods used by the fur industry are both inhumane and cruel (1). The killing methods used by the industry include:

• Anal and genital electrocution are painful and traumatic to the animal, causing painful seizures to the heart. Moreover, electrocution is carried out from nose-to-tail or nose-to-foot, rather than through the brain which is required in order to induce loss of consciousness. Electrocuted animals remain conscious for a time after onset of cardiac fibrillation, brought on by the electrocution.
• Cervical disclocation (neck breaking) is another technique routinely used by the fur industry while the animal is conscious, causing suffocation, and is also inhumane and cruel. The technique must only be used by "individuals with a demonstrated high degree of technical competency" and only on certain poultry and other small animals below a certain weight. Even with a loss of consciousness this method is not instantaneous with the animal languishing for at least 20 seconds.

The AVMA has stated that both electrocution and cervical dislocation "techniques are unacceptable" - (info from: American Veterinary Medical Association Panel, Vol. 218, No. 5, March 1, 2001, "2000 Report of the AVMA Panel on Killing", The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, pp. 669-696)

• Gas poisoning: Animals are crammed into boxes and poisoned with hot, unfiltered engine exhaust from trucks. Animals have been seen to wake up while being skinned.
• Chemical/lethal poisoning: Strychnine is used via ingestion which causing paralysis of their muscles and cramping. Animals have been known to be skinned while still conscious. Farmers have also been known to inject pesticide, cleaning fluids and other poisonous liquids into the animal's heart.
• Clubbing: Animals are restrained while being clubbed at their heads. This is a long and terrifying ordeal for the animal who struggles causing inaccurate hits by the farmer. Many animals are merely stunned before being skinned alive and often wake up during the skinning.

The IFTF refuses to condemn these methods, allowing them to continue in thousands of fur farms around the world.

Trapping

As stipulated by the International Fur Trade Federation the term coined to wild animals used for fur is that of "wild fur-bearers". They view trapping as an important "component of wildlife management programmes" with comprehensive laws and regulations being in place. This is false as all traps used are non-selective - for each target animal trapped, approximately two non-target animals are caught. These non-target animals include dogs, cats, squirrels, and even endangered species and birds of prey that are attracted to the baited sets.

Trapped animals are rarely killed quickly. The majority of trapped animals die desperate, agonizing deaths. The three most common traps are the steel jaw leghold trap, the Conibear Trap and the Wire Snare. With concern to the leghold trap, many animals end up trying to chew through their caught limbs; the conibear slowly squeezes the animal to death, while the wire snare tightens and cuts into the caught area, such as the leg or snout.

And there is no such thing as humane trapping. 88 countries and 5 U.S states have banned the leghold trap because of its inherent cruelty and because it is non-selective- trapping any animal that steps into it. However, the use of fur from animals trapped in this manner abroad is still legal in those countries.

Countries that still allow the leghold trap to be legal are Australia, China, USA, Canada, Korea, France, Spain, Russia, and Eastern Europe.

Types of Traps

Leghold Trap

Traps are set along a trapline. This involves placing the traps in areas where animals travel frequently, for instance along creek beds or in trees. Sometimes the trap locations are baited with urine or sex gland scents that lure the animal to a certain trap.

When trapped, the animal is surprised as the trap painfully grips the body part, usually the paw, leg, abdomen or sometimes the muzzle. The trapped animal is then restrained alive and is unable to move. In both agony and confusion, the animal struggles in frenzy often resulting in mutilation, dislocation of joints and breaking teeth. In a desperate need to break free animals such as foxes, have been known to chew their leg or paw. Trappers call this "wring-off" and means a loss of a pelt to them. If the animal does succeed, it is traumatized and injured and has little chance of surviving. Death through infection, starvation or by becoming easy prey for another animal.

If the animal is unable to break free, exhaustion and unconsciousness are the kindest possibilities. Trap checking times can range from once every 24 hours to once every 5 days and are not enforced by any laws.

Conibear Trap

In its development stage, this trap was seen as a potential instant-kill trap. Now it is recognized as inhumane because it relies on specific conditions when in use.

That is, the trap only works for animals that happen to be the "right size" for the trap, as well as traveling at the "right speed" and from the "right angle" etc

Instead of working as an instant kill trap, it generally works as a body-holding trap that clamps onto various parts of the animal's body, such as the neck, shoulder, abdomen, etc, where it restrains the animal until the trapper returns. Trappers refer to this trap as the "Body-Gripper".

This type of trap causes horrendous pain and suffering - a slow and agonizing death. Just like the leghold trap, there is no time limit on when the trapper is required to return to check the trap.

The Wire Snare

A simple, yet brutal trap. A wire loop encircles the animal's body such as the leg, abdomen, neck, etc. As the animal struggles, the wire loop tightens and continues to tighten the more the animal struggles. Sometimes, if caught around the neck, the animal will slowly strangle themselves. If caught around the paw or leg, the wire tightens so much that it cuts into the flesh to the bone. This is a slow and sufferable trap.CHINA FUR FARMS Today, China is the world 's largest exporter of fur clothing. It is also the biggest fur trade production and processing base in the world. Wild species bred for fur include red and arctic foxes, raccoon dogs, mink, and Rex Rabbits. With concern to farmed fur-bearing anmals, besides minks, foxes and rabbits, dogs and cats are also being farmed and slaughtered for their fur.

Because of the cheap labour and the absence of restrictive regulations in welfare, international fur traders, processors and fashion designers have shifted their business to this country.

In all farms visited in China, animals were handled roughly and were confined to rows of inappropriate, small wire cages. Signs of extreme anxiety and pathological behaviours were prominent throughout. Other indicators of poor welfare include high cub mortality and infanticide. Since the animals are killed at the site of auction, animals are often transported over large distances and under horrendous conditions before being slaughtered. They are stunned with repeated blows to the head or swung against the ground. Skinning begins with a knife at the rear of the belly whilst the animal is hung up-side-down by its hind legs from a hook. A significant number of animals remain fully conscious during this process. Supremely helpless, they struggle and try to fight back to the very end. Even after their skin has been stripped off breathing, heart beat, directional body and eyelid movements were evident for 5 to 10 minutes.

Number of Animals Used in One Fur Coat

References

(1) American Veterinary Medical Association Panel, Vol. 218, No. 5, March 1, 2001, "2000 Report of the AVMA Panel on Killing", The Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, pp. 669-696)

Go to http://www.endthesuffuring.org/ for more information and photos of the campaign