Fur comes from the extremely cruel fur industry.

-- Stella McCartney, Fasion Designer

Fur Farms

The majority of animals used for fur live on fur farms. The most farmed fur-bearing animal is the mink. Other animals used for fur include rabbits, foxes, chinchillas, raccoons, beavers and lynxes. Most fur farms can be found in Europe. The animals are kept in very small cages which causes a lot of emotional and physical stress. They are fed meat by-products considered unfit for human consumption. Water is provided by a nipple system which often freezes in the winter.

Fur Traps

Besides raising animals on fur farms, traps are used to catch them. When animals are caught in a trap, it can take days before the trapper removes them. About 1 out of 4 trapped animals escapes by chewing off his or her own leg or paw. The escaped animals will die from blood loss, fever or gangrene, or are killed by a predator.

Traps don't only trap animals suitable for fur. Up to 50% of trapped animals are discarded as "trash animals". This includes many domestic cats and dogs.

Killing Methods

The killing methods on fur farms are gruesome. They use different methods to kill the animals without damaging their fur.

Small animals may be put into boxes and poisoned with the hot engine exhaust from a truck. Larger animals have clamps applied to their mouths and rods inserted into their anuses and are electrocuted.

Other common killing methods used on fur farms are gassing, neck-snapping and decompression chambers.

Not all these methods always effectively kill the animals and some animals "wake-up" while being skinned.

Faux fur or clothing made with other materials can be a good replacement for fur.