Fur Stores in Vancouver Canada Vandalized

Four fur stories in the Vancouver, Canada, area were vandalized by animal rights activists who sprayed red paint on the windows and doors.  The four stores were Capilano Furs, Speiser Furs, Snowflake Canada and Pappas Furs.  Credit is being taken by ALF.

Read the full story here at the Vancouver Sun.

West Hollywood, CA, Approves Fur Ban

It's the first fur ban in the United States.

Yay! Here's hoping there are many more to come!

Canada's Military Goes Back to Fur Hats

I think this is just stubbornness.

Excerpted from UPI.....

Canada's military is reverting to issuing real fur winter hats to soldiers, replacing synthetic tuques for winter use, the Department of Defense announced.

An initial order for 1,000 of the new "Yukon" hats with muskrat fur has been placed at a cost of $65,000, the Globe and Mail reported.

As late as the 1990s, female soldiers were issued winter hats made from mink and the ceremonial guard in Ottawa still wear the tall bearskin hats known as a "busby" by their British counterparts in London.

Defense spokeswoman Josee Hunter told the newspaper "the uniforms worn by the Canadian Forces are a reflection of Canada's proud heritage," although animal rights activists had a different take on heritage.

Group Seeks to Ban Chinese Fur Trade with Australia

GRUESOME!

Excerpted from the International Business Times....

Humane Society International (HSI) called on Wednesday for a ban on the fur trade to Australia. The call was issued after the animal rights group discovered that the fur were sourced from the raccoon dog in China, ABC Radio Australia reports.

About 10 million dogs in China are killed for their fur, prompting an animal rights group to seek a ban on fur trade to Australia. The dog fur are used are inside lining for ugg boots.

What angered the society were reports that Chinese workers skinned the dogs while still alive. The dog's fur is used to make Ugg boots, a popular fashion brand in Australia, to line the inside of the shoe. However, the fur is passed off as sheep skin.

Besides raccoon dogs, other types of domestic dogs are also suffering because of the high demand for their fur. Verna Simpson, director for Asia Pacific of HIS, estimated about 10 million domestic dogs in China are killed yearly for their fur.

Activists Set Fire to Idaho Fur Store

I just don't support these tactics. I hate fur....it's disgusting. But burning a store just 1) makes us into terrorists, 2) does nothing to stop the trade, 3) probably won't even stop the store because they'll get insurance money and reopen and 4) only feeds into sympathy for the industry and the business owners.

JMHO.

Excerpted from Reuters....
Animal rights activists claimed responsibility on Monday for a fire that caused $100,000 in damage to a Boise-area store that sells fur coats and fireworks, authorities said.

No one was injured in the early morning blaze at Rocky Mountain Fur & Fireworks, a retailer in Caldwell, Idaho, about 30 miles northwest of the state capital.

The North American Animal Liberation Press Office, which says it conveys messages for unnamed animal advocates, distributed a statement from a group calling itself the "arson unit" that said it set fire to a store stocked with "chemically treated skins of thousands of tortured animals".

"By oppressing innocent life, you've lost your rights. We've come to take you down a notch. Stay in business and we'll be back," the unit said.

Janet Jackson Continues as Spokesperson for Mink Fur Company

What is the attraction of fur? I just don't get it. Wear your own damn skin! I'm disappointed in Janet Jackson and am totally taking her stuff off Rhapsody. No way will I add Jennifer Lopez either.

Excerpted from Popcrush...

Janet Jackson will reprise her role as the spokesmodel for Blackglama’s ‘What Becomes a Legend Most’ ad campaign. Jackson was named a ‘Legend’ in last year’s campaign, as well, so this is familiar territory for her....

The new ads will begin running this fall, with the debut image landing the September issue of W. The black and white image to the left shows Jackson in a catsuit, looking fierce as ever.

In case you were not aware of what exactly Blackglama is, we’ll tell you. The Seattle-based company supplies “the finest, most luxurious and exclusive ranch-raised natural black mink.” Given the fact that Jackson is representing a company that traffics in the fur trade, animal rights activists might get their feathers ruffled by Jackson’s continued associations with a luxe fur brand. Jennifer Lopez has dealt with the same criticisms for her repeated wearing of fur products

Fur Free Fashion Show Winners Announced

Received this press release yesterday....

Make Room Project Runway:

Winners of 2nd Annual Fur Free Fashion Competition Announced by Born Free USA and Celebrity Judges

August 9, 2010, Washington DC - - To shine a spotlight on talented emerging fashion designers who believe in the ethical and environmental benefits of shunning fur fashion, Born Free USA (BFUSA), the nationally recognized leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation, created the Fur Free Fashion (fffashion) Competition, now in its second successful year. Winners were announced today by Born Free CEO Will Travers, after a celebrity judging panel made their final choices.

Travers said, “We created this competition to boost fashion careers and honor independent designers who have compassion for animals and for the ethical and green fashion movement. This has become an extraordinary opportunity for emerging fashion stars to showcase their talent and contribute to a critical global issue. Our hope is that these talented participants will help pave the way for a more ethical fashion industry in the future.”

This years’ judges for the competition were: Sophie Uliano, author of New York Times bestseller Gorgeously Green; Summer Rayne Oaks, model, spokesperson, and expert for Discovery Network's Planet Green; Brita Belli, editor of E/The Environmental Magazine; and Josh Dorfman, author and host of The Lazy Environmentalist on Sundance Channel's The Green.

Winners

First Place: Tammy Apostol, an independent designer in Miami, FL, for her “Green Organic Cotton Gown,” a strapless mermaid silhouette gown with a back train. Apostol said “It is the responsibility of us, the designers and manufacturers, to bring environmental awareness to the consumer by providing more and better sustainable products and style.”

Second Place: Valerie Mayen, an independent designer in Cleveland, Ohio, for her “Cherry Snap,” a two-tiered skirt with a textured high waistband, adjustable to size with varied snaps, designed to accessorize any basic ensemble in a unique way. Mayen said "I have always been very persistent when it comes to integrating sustainability into my work.”

Third Place (The Student Award): Kyle Ramirez, a design student at The Art Institute of Dallas, for his “Cotton Candy Dress” that creates the illusion of something “soft and weightless like fur and cotton candy” but uses cascading ruffles, antiqued satin fabric, artificial flowers and beads, to achieve that illusion. Ramirez said “Change in fashion represents our world’s change. It does not have to be harmful to our planet. I am eco-conscious about my designs.”

The Green Award (for the most environmentally friendly design): Moe Donnelly, an independent designer in Ashville NC, for her “Traveling Soiree Dress and Bolero Jacket,” an aesthetic of “Edwardian Era elegance” transformed into something practical. Donnelly made the bodice from an unfinished blouse she found at a thrift store and paired it with cotton blend fabrics from a local NC fabric store and lined it with recycled fleece. She made the jacket from a reassembled men’s suit and the arm-warmers were recycled from a velvet blazer which she then lined with material from a thrift shop sweater. “I try to use antique, vintage and thrifted fabrics to create one-of-a-kind pieces.”

“Compassion for animals is part of the planet’s social and environmental equation. Fashion designers, retailers, and consumers must realize that fur has no place in ethical consumerism. Simply put, fur is not in style, is not cool, and is not fashionable in any sense of the word,” Travers explains.

Born Free USA (BFUSA) is a nationally recognized leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation, and public education, BFUSA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic “pets”, trapping and fur, and destructive international wildlife trade. BFUSA’s Primate Sanctuary in Texas is home to more than 500 primates rescued from laboratories, roadside zoos, and private possession. BFUSA brings to America the message of “compassionate conservation”, the vision of the U.K.-based Born Free Foundation. Born Free Foundation was established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son Will, now CEO of both organizations. BFUSA’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally.

ALF Activist Receives 21-Month Sentence

Alex Hall released 650 mink from McMullin Fur farm in South Jordan, Utah in 2008. He received a sentence of 21 months under the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act (AETA.)

Hall is expected to serve the rest of his sentence in Davis County Jail, rather than be shipped to a federal prison. He is expected to be released in two or three months.

Judge Clears Way for HSUS Suit Over Fur Advertising

A federal judge has issued a ruling that clears the way for a lawsuit against Macy's, Saks Fifth Ave., and several other retailers over alleged false advertising over "faux" fur products.

The lawsuit, filed under the D.C. Consumer Protection Procedures Act, alleges that the companies "misrepresent" the characteristics of the fur-trimmed garments by (1) advertising and labeling products as "faux fur," when they are, in fact, derived from real animal fur or (2) advertising and labeling products as common raccoon, fox or rabbit fur when they are, in fact, made from the wholly distinct species of raccoon dog—a member of the dog family. The complaint also alleges violations of the federal Fur Products Labeling Act and Federal Trade Commission Act, which also prohibit the false advertising and mislabeling of any fur product.

Activists in Mexico Bomb Max Mara Store

ALF activists in Polanco Mexico bombed a Max Mara clothing shop. Max Mara is an Italian fashion house. You can read about them here.

According to a communique received by Bite Back, they did this in protest of Max Mara's use of furs.

With this sabotage we join the international week against MaxMara. The explosion that damaged the facade of the store was not a coincidence. It was not a whim or an attempt to get attention, as the sensationalist press will say; instead this is a response to the domination, objectification and commodification of millions of animals (mink, chinchilla, fox, raccoons, etc.) raised in the infernal fur farms, which are nothing more than concentration camps, where non-human animals are subjugated and forced to live a life of torture and imprisonment waiting for their murder, sick and crazed due to the denial of their wild natures.

Max Mara has long been the target of anti-fur activists in Europe and around the world. You can read more about that here.

Canada Mink Breeders Association Annual Meeting in WI on August 31st

The Canadian Mink Breeders Association will be holding it's annual meeting in Madison WI. Here is a list of the attendees.

Here is the link to the CA Mink Breeders site, but it seems to be down.

Walmart Canada Pulls Rabbit Fur Slippers

The Animal Defence League of Canada got Walmart to pull slippers containing real rabbit fur off its shelves. Walmart (of all places) has a no-fur policy.

The slippers are called Tender Tootsies. DON'T BUY THEM!

British Student Attacked by Portuguese Fur Shop Owner

The post in the ANIMAL blog is in Portuguese, but here's the gist of it.

A British student studying in Porto, Portugal, was handing out leaflets in front of "Beigel," a fur shop. She was volunteering for ANIMAL.

She had already been threatened by the owner on Wednesday for trespassing on her premises. On Friday, the owner really lost it and attacked her, leaving marks on the student's arms.

There were plenty of shocked witnesses and the student is going to press charges upon her return from Xmas with her family.

ANIMAL is a Portuguese animal rights group that had already been having weekly actions directed at this particular shop, so they were not surprised by the venom of the owner's response.

Wingnut Pretty in Mink Calendar

Ick. The only thing more hideous then staring at Ann Coulter's mug for a whole month is Ann Coulter in fur. And they could at least pose her where I can't see her Adam's apple.

Tainted Milk Poisons Dogs Raised for Fur

Only from China could you get TWO atrocities in one.

Not only did tainted milk kill 1,500 raccoon dogs (they really look like raccoons), but these dogs were being raised for their FUR!

NARN Protests Fur Store in Everett, WA

Northwest Animal Rights Network (NARN) will be staging protests at this fur store in Everett, WA.

The company is Terry L. Fieck Furs.

Here is their idea of a fur coat. Nice and GREEN! Literally and sarcastically.

Russians Love Fur

Apparently, it is so deeply embedded in Russian culture that everyone wants it.

“Greenpeace has absolutely no voice in Russia,” said Natalia Paslavskaya, director of 2nd Fur Salon, one of the most exclusive fur boutiques in Russia that caters to the most sophisticated clientele, usually able to afford paying $250,000 for a signature fur coat and ordering a new one every year. “I’ve got a vegan friend, but when she came to our shop, she just said, ‘I want it’,” Paslavskaya said.

The Push for "Ecological Fur"

People out there are still trying to argue that wearing fur can be ecological, reusable, renewable and ecologically friendly.

I don't buy it, but decide for yourself.

Gwyneth Paltrow Models Fur, Activists Not Happy

You'd think of all the things she could model, she would stay away from fur products. Or maybe there's no such thing as bad publicity.

PETA Targeting J-Lo?

It's possible and I hope they do it. I don't care for Jennifer Lopez, even aside from her fur-wearing ways.