Australian Supermodel Imogen Bailey Says, “Hands off the buns!”
Sure, you’d probably never dream of wearing a coat made of 40 minks or a tacky coyote collar on your jacket. But could that trim on your cardigan, the tassles on your hat, even your cat’s toy mouse be made of—yikes!—the Easter bunny? Yes, it’s high time to lose ALL the fur!
People who live with rabbit companions in their homes know that they are sensitive, smart animals with individual personalities, just like the dogs and cats so many of us consider a part of the family. They make lifelong bonds with other rabbits and humans, they play with toys, and they can even learn to use litterboxes.
But the hundreds of millions of rabbits slaughtered for their fur and their flesh every year aren’t so lucky. Like other animals “farmed” for their fur, rabbits—who are extremely clean by nature—are kept in tiny, filthy cages, surrounded by their own waste. They spend their entire miserable lives standing on the thin cage wires, never having a chance to dig, jump, or play. The methods of slaughter are no more humane—they are killed by having their necks snapped or having their skulls beaten before being strung up by the legs and having their heads cut off.
Some stores justify the selling of rabbit fur by saying that it is “just a coproduct” of the rabbit-meat industry. But the rabbit fur industry demands the pelt of a thicker, older animal than those slaughtered for meat. In fact, the UN reports that “few skins are now retrieved from slaughterhouses,” and countries such as France are killing as many as 70 million rabbits a year for fur.
What’s more, there is a thriving, hideously cruel dog- and cat-fur industry in Asia, much of which is often falsely labeled as “rabbit fur” before export to Western markets. Without expensive DNA tests, it is virtually impossible to know exactly what kind of animal you are actually wearing if you choose to buy fur.
Angora rabbits, who are repeatedly shorn for their soft wool, don’t have it much better. They are strapped to a board for shearing, kicking powerfully in protest. The clippers inevitably bite into their flesh, with bloody results. Angoras have very delicate foot pads, making life on a wire cage floor excruciating and ulcerated feet a common condition. Because male angoras have only 80 percent of the wool yield of females, they are routinely killed at birth.
With so many high-quality alternatives to both rabbit fur and angora, compassionate consumers and animal-friendly fashionistas are sparing bunnies and shunning their skins by instead choosing soft acrylics, brushed cotton, and faux fur. Sexy Australian model Imogen Bailey and NYPD Blue babe Charlotte Ross have posed naked in sexy PETA ads to exclaim, “Hands off the Buns!” Check out PETA’s free “Guide to Compassionate Clothing” for bunny-friendly shopping tips.
Please also contact this business that currently sells rabbit fur trim and garments and urge them to stop supporting this violent industry:
Bebe Stores, Inc.
Greg Scott, CEO
400 Valley Dr.
Brisbane, CA 94005
415-715-3900
415-715-3939 (fax)
[email protected]
