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The Problem with Fur Trim

Each year worldwide, over 40 million animals are killed for the fur industry - 2 million of them in Canada. According to the industry, the majority of the animals killed are used for fur trim. Fur trim is not only found in upscale boutiques and designer collections, but in average department stores and supermarkets.

In an effort to reverse its declining fortunes during the last decade - as consumers turned their backs on fur - the industry has swamped the market with cheap fur trim. In pursuing this marketing strategy, the fur industry is also targeting young, first-time buyers, subliminally portraying fur as fun, trendy and ethically acceptable. Fur trim comes in many guises, from hood- and sleeve- trimmed parka jackets to sweaters, dresses, purses, gloves, hats, bedroom slippers and boots. It also can appear on accessories, children's toys, and trinkets. Even designers who pledged never to use fur have resorted to fur trim.

Because fur trim often goes unlabelled and is used on many budget clothing items, many consumers end up purchasing "real" fur thinking that it's fake. Some consumers mistakenly believe that fur trim only consists of "leftovers" from the production of full-length coats. The truth, however, is that animals are bred, killed and skinned specifically for fur trim. In fact, today, more animals are killed for fur trim than for full-length coats. 90% of fur from foxes killed on fur farms is used as fur trim.

Animals are trapped in the wild or raised on industrial fur farms under deplorable conditions to feed the fur trim habit. Animals that end their days as trim include: fox, mink, chinchilla, raccoon, coyote, and rabbit. On occasion, unsuspecting consumers may even be buying fur trim made out of domestic dog or cat fur, imported from the Far East.

Remember:

• Fur trim is not a by-product of the full-fur coat industry.
• Just because a product is inexpensive does not mean the fur is fake.
• At least one animal dies for each piece of fur trim or fur accessory.
• Fur trim is produced using the same cruel methods that manufacture full-fur coats.
• If the label does not explicitly state that the trim is synthetic, avoid the product and thus the risk that it is made from real fur.
• Fur trim, implicated in the suffering and death of millions of animals every year, is unnecessary in the modern day and age, when many superior, synthetic alternatives are available.