Whether fur bobbles, fur collars or fur trimmings on jackets and scarves, every little bit of fur trimming is directly linked to animal cruelty. No matter how much fur is used, real fur is never «ethically correct» from an animal welfare perspective. The fur industry has told us these and many other lies for years in order to rehabilitate the use of fur. In fact, up to 100 million animals have died each year in recent years to be processed into fashion items. 95 percent of all fur traded worldwide comes from breeding farms, mainly in China and Europe, where fur-bearing animals such as mink, raccoon dogs or foxes are kept in tiny wire mesh cages.
Due to falling demand, legal restrictions in a growing number of EU member states and devastating COVID-19 outbreaks on mink farms, production figures are declining worldwide. Ninety-five percent of the fur traded worldwide comes from fur farms primarily in China and Europe, where mink, raccoon dogs, foxes and other animals are kept in tiny wire cages. In these cages, the animals cannot act out their natural behavior and cannot have any species-typical experiences such as swimming or digging. This monotonous life leads to constant stress, severe behavioral disorders, self-mutilation and cannibalism. After a few months, the young animals are killed on fur farms during the so-called «fur harvest». They suffer an agonizing death from gassing or electric shocks.
Fur products are always and without exception based on animal suffering. Luckily, more and more fashion chains now offer fur-free shopping.
There are no guidelines or detailed regulations for the keeping of fur animals in the EU. In 1999, the Council of Europe adopted a recommendation on fur farming. However, it is completely inadequate from an animal welfare point of view, as it allows fur animals to continue to be kept in tiny cages. Chain link floors and lack of areas for climbing, digging, and bathing are tolerated.
Many EU countries have no additional regulations for fur farming. Fortunately, more and more countries are choosing to protect fur animals through tougher national laws or banning fur farming altogether. But on a global scale, most fur-bearing animals are either under-protected or not protected at all. Even in China, by far the world’s largest fur producer, there is no enforceable law protecting animals on fur farms.