Fur industry ads that grace the pages of fashion magazines portray fur and fur-trimmed garments as symbols of elegance and wealth. What these sleek ads fail to reveal is how the original owners of these coats met their gruesome deaths. Fur trade propaganda would have us believe that animals raised on fur farms and trapped in the wild are treated humanely – sadly, little could be further from the truth.

On fur farms, animals spend their entire lives confined in tiny, filthy cages, where they suffer physical and psychological distress before being killed by poisoning, gassing, anal electrocution, or neck-breaking. Animals trapped for fur suffer excruciating pain, often for days, before having their chests stomped or necks broken by trappers. Beavers caught in underwater traps struggle frantically before drowning.

Mercy For Animals has long targeted the unspeakably cruel fur industry by producing and airing powerful TV commercials, organizing eye-catching, anti-fur demonstrations, and creating and distributing educational materials that reveal the untold suffering sewn into every fur garment. Last winter MFA intensified these efforts.

Backed by a banner that read “Cruelty is Never in Fashion,” and armed with a “body screen” TV that aired graphic footage of animal cruelty on fur farms, members of MFA braved the snow and frigid temperatures to stage headline-grabbing demonstrations outside retailers that sell fur in Chicago, Cleveland, Dayton, Cincinnati, Toledo, and Columbus. Many of the events featured fur-wearers crammed into tiny wire cages to illustrate the cruel conditions animals endure on fur farms. Other events included fur-wearers hiding their faces under paper bags that spelled out “SHAME.” Members of MFA in nearly all 50 states and across Canada joined the fight against fur by distributing over 30,000 anti-fur door hangers in their neighborhoods.

• Make compassion your fashion! Refuse to buy real fur or fur-trimmed garments. Even the smallest amount of fur trim or lining supports egregious animal cruelty. Contact MFA about donating old furs for use in demonstrations and public outreach events.
• Speak up! Educate friends, family, neighbors, store owners, and fur-wearers about animal cruelty in the fur trade. Most individuals who wear fur are simply unaware of the animal abuse they are promoting. Order a supply of MFA’s anti-fur door hangers to get started.

Back | Contents