Couple to Hit the Sheets on Busy Sidewalk to Urge Shoppers to ‘Get Down Without Down’

PETA Ruffles Feathers to Expose Cruelty to Birds in Down Production

For Immediate Release:
July 23, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

San Francisco – A couple will greet passersby from a bed on the sidewalk under a banner reading, “Get Down Without Down,” at a busy intersection in San Francisco on Wednesday. The two will be accompanied by an activist dressed as a giant half-plucked goose holding a sign that reads, “Plucked Alive.”

When:   Wednesday, July 24, 12 noon

Where:  Westfield San Francisco Centre, 865 Market St., San Francisco

The battered bird and cuddling couple’s point? Compassionate shoppers who would never think of buying fur sometimes purchase sleeping bags, jackets, gloves, pillows, or comforters filled with down because they aren’t aware of the suffering of birds who are often repeatedly—and painfully—plucked alive for their feathers. Other PETA supporters will hold signs that read, “Feathers Ripped Out,” and include photos from an investigation of the down industry.

PETA encourages shoppers to check labels for synthetic down, down alternative, polyester fill, or high-tech fabrics such as PrimaLoft® and Thinsulate™—soft, washable, down-like fibers. In most cases, these are a superior option for climbers and campers, as down loses much of its insulating properties when it gets wet.

“Down is a product of cruelty to birds,” says Alicia Silverstone in a new PETA video exposé. She offers a behind-the-scenes view of the down industry, showing how millions of geese and ducks are “violently plucked bloody for their feathers” while they’re still alive—a traumatic and painful experience. A broadcast-quality version of PETA’s video exposé featuring Silverstone can be downloaded here. Her video interview can be downloaded here.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.