Those
wonderful-looking fur garments look fabulous and cosy on the hanger but those
fabulous-looking coats and scarves aren’t so fabulous. Most people don’t know
how many rabbits died so you can have that fashion piece.
A whopping
90% of Angora fur which is used for clothing originates from China. Due to the
lax Chinese law and regulations of animal cruelty, this prohibits the
horrendous ordeal Angora rabbits have to go through at farms which rip out
their fur while still being very much conscious. There are no penalties for
this cruelty imposed on these bunnies being trapped in these condition with
nowhere to hop until their heart’s content.
In 2013, PetaAsia exposed these farms using undercover filming which revealed the hard to
watch, genuine horror these rabbits, as young as 8 weeks old, are put through.
Whilst being restrained by having both their front and back legs tied down,
their fur is plucked straight from the skin in huge handfuls at a time while
being fully conscious.
Sometimes
scissors or trimming tools are used to cut off the fur but this doesn’t rule
out their injuries and pain. As the rabbit struggles to escape, their movements
will cause wounds from the tools. The farmer’s use the excuse that plucking
produces better quality fur than cutting it but this doesn’t justify their
actions.
Once
bleeding, raw skin has been left behind, the rabbit is then put back in its
cage. The cages are tiny – barely enough room to stretch their torn bodies
never mind run around or interact with the other rabbits. The cold, unprotected
metal causes irritation to their paws and skin. About 2 or 3 months later, the
rabbit’s fur will grow back. When it’s grown back, the terrifying ordeal is
repeated. Again and again until they are several years old. If the animal has managed
to survive this torture without suffering from heart attacks due to shock, they
will be murdered to sell their meat.
With more
than 50 billion rabbits being held prisoner in these Chinese farms, this is 50
billion animals suffering. The endless torture doesn’t stop. Such large numbers
of animals
being affected by this endless torture is because the female angora rabbits
have more fur than the males do. In other words, the males are likely to be
killed at birth.
The fur is
then transported to other countries where it is then used on garments such as
coats, scarves, gloves, sweaters and accessories. Since the exposure of the
cruelty behind the scenes of the animal farms in 2013, consumers became more
aware of how fur, such as angora, is attained.
Some
clothing companies came under fire for selling angora products. A particular
instance was when Topshop were selling angora sweaters in December 2013 for a
measly £36 when the price of a life is worth so much more. After customers
complained, Topshop recalled the jumpers and apologised after coming under
scrutiny because of the ill treatment of the rabbits.
AmyLiddell, fashion blogger and student, says “it's absolutely barbaric. In this day and age there are so
many alternatives to using real fur and faux fur can look just as luxurious and feel just as great without hurting or
killing any animals in the process”.
“It's absolutely needless to inflict such suffering on animals,
especially when faux fur looks so much like the real thing”.
“I own so much faux fur from hats to coats to scarves. My favourite at
the minute has got to be my new coat from Topshop. It's the fluffiest, cosiest
coat I've ever owned and it just looks so chic, even when it's just paired with
some jeans and a tee”.
The
exposure of the rabbit farms brought to light by Topshop saw an end to many other
popular clothing brands from stopping selling angora products such as H&M,
Forever 21, ASOS, Zara, New Look and Calvin Klein are a handful of brands that
have also stopped the selling of angora fur. The Kooples is the most recent
brand to be pressured into re-thinking their fur products.
PETA
director, Mimi Bekhechi, states on their recent press release that “it’s shameful for a brand that
celebrates love to sell the fur that was ripped out of or peeled off sensitive
animals’ bodies”.
“PETA is calling on The Kooples to have a heart and break up
with cruel angora and products for good”.
The Kooples will be feeling the tension from the many other
high street stores which have followed the wishes from PETA and customers to
recall their angora products. Demonstrators took to Manchester streets outside
The Kooples store on October 29th to protest their opinions against
their support of animal cruelty.
There are
many products which are faux fur but feel very real. A quick way to know the
difference between faux and real is that products from reliable companies
should have their real fur labelled on the item. A real angora sweater can cost
an average of anything between £200 and £500 but a faux duplicate can be picked
up on the high street for a fraction of the price.
Kendal
Jenner, Kim Kardashian, Rita Ora and Rihanna are only a handful of celebrities
that have been spotted wearing real fur garments. It’s not only celebrity
clothes that we take notice of as with the recent rise in popularity of fashion
bloggers, there is more exposure and attention to the clothes we wear than ever
before. Winter is slowly turning into full swing and we love to wrap up warm
and cosy but this doesn’t mean it should come at the price of a life.
Angora is
not always the first animal we think of when it comes to fur in fashion.
Rabbits are suffering just as much as cows, foxes and minks all being slaughtered
for the cost of leather, fur coats and jumpers. A life is a life just as much
as yours.
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