Think fur-st and remember the poor animals

CAMPAIGNERS claim fur coats belong only on the backs of their owners, but every year, they report, millions of terrified, foxes, minks, dogs, cats, chinchillas and countless other breeds are tortured barbarically for their coats. There is clear evidence that many animals die horrifically painful and frightening deaths to fuel the fur trade merely, its opponents argue, so people can indulge their needless desire for outdated and unnecessary garments.

Each year, the worldwide fur industry kills more than 55 million animals in the name of fashion, according to the RSPCA, which strongly opposes the farming and trapping of animals for their fur. The animal charity says the husbandry and slaughter methods used on fur farms can cause considerable suffering to the animals involved.

To stop this horrific industry in its tracks, the RSPCA urges the public to be aware of real fur on the high street and avoid it. People, it says, should make sure they know the facts and never buy anything that is made entirely or partly of real fur. You might think that you would spot real fur at 50 paces, but it can be very difficult to see, particularly as many retailers don’t label clothes as containing real fur. To help you avoid this product, follow the RSPCA’s handy shopping tips and don't be fooled into buying real fur.

1. Beware of fur trim

Even a small piece of real fur trim on clothes such as coat hoods, gilets and accessories such as gloves, shoes, boots, handbags and scarves has been taken from a skinned animal that may have suffered simply for fashion. 

2. Real fur can come in many colours

Fur can be dyed many colours from bright pink to black. Never assume that just because it does not have a natural look that it is faux.

3. Just because fur is cheap this means it must be faux... right?

Wrong! Research has revealed that real fur items can be purchased for as little as £20 – and not just from designer boutiques but also on the high street and street markets.

4. Beware of labels

Check the label but never trust it, as some fur items are labelled with the species of animal the fur has been taken from. If it has come from a real animal, don't buy it. On some garments, labelling can be either misleading, in another language or missing altogether, making it hard for consumers to know whether the fur, especially on trims and accessories, is fake or real. Shockingly, in a coat recently obtained by the RSPCA from a well-known high street retailer, the label stated 63 per cent polyester, 37 per cent polyamide. There was no reference at all to the real fur trim on the collar. Never assume that just because it is not on the label, that fur trim is faux.

5. Be 100 per cent sure that it's fake

You can sometimes tell the difference between real and fake fur by gently separating the hairs and going down to their base. If you can see skin or leather between the hairs at the base the item is real. If you can see a weave or material at base of the hairs the fur is fake. However if you’re not sure, then the best rule is simply not to buy it.

6. Items that could be made of or include real fur include:

handbags, gloves and other accessories; fur trim on coat hoods and collars, eg parkas; coats; shoes and boots; body warmers gilets; pet toys, eg mice; keyrings; ornaments;

7. Shopping online

Beware of purchasing items from online auction sites and other online retailers. Only purchase items from retailers that you are certain sell 100 per cent fake fur.

8. Fur-free retailers

Some high street shops now implement an animal welfare policy for their clothing ranges and promote their fur-free stance in stores. The restriction of fur use in these stores signals the general public’s continuing hostility towards buying and wearing real fur.

Lastly, there are many humanely produced alternative materials available instead of fur and the RSPCA urges all fashion houses, designers and retailers to shun real fur. It also calls on consumers to never buy real fur and to support those retailers with a fur-free policy.

By refusing to buy real fur items and by ensuring that the fur on the clothes and accessories you buy is completely fake, it insists, you are not contributing to the killing of fur-bearing animals in the name of fashion.

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