by Lou DeSantis, demonstration coordinator for PAR

November 28th is Fur Free Friday, an event that began over twenty years ago in this country and is now observed throughout the world. By the 1990's, after exposing the brutality of fur production, animal advocates had succeeded in making the wearing of fur taboo in the eyes of many people. Recently, to counter this, department stores have been promoting clothing with fur collars and trim that consumers mistakenly believe is made from scraps of leftover fur. In reality, animals suffer and die for each article, whether fur-trimmed or full length. And that death is not pretty.

In the U.S., nearly four million animals are caught in traps where they suffer for days before trappers break their necks or even bludgeon them to death. Throughout the world, an estimated 45 million animals will spend their lives in small cages on"fur farms". These animals' short, miserable lives are ended by such cruel methods as gassing, neck-breaking and anal-electrocution. In China, where most of the West's fur comes from, animals such as foxes, raccoons, cats and dogs are, unbelievably, skinned alive.

Fur trimmed items are now a half-billion dollar industry. The number of animals killed for fur trim is soon expected to overtake those killed for full-fur garments.

The holidays are meant to be a time of peace and kindness. Shouldn't that compassion extend to our fashion decisions?

Lou DeSantis, demonstration coordinator for PAR