Giant Plucked ‘Goose’ to Deliver the Lowdown on Down

PETA Members to Converge on Boise REI Store to Expose Cruel Industry

For Immediate Release:
July 25, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Boise – Accompanied by an activist dressed as a half-plucked goose and holding signs that read, “Plucked Alive,” with graphic imagery, PETA supporters will congregate at an REI store in Boise on Friday. The battered bird’s point? That shoppers who would never think of buying fur often purchase jackets, gloves, pillows, or comforters filled with down because they aren’t aware of the hideous suffering of birds who are often repeatedly—and painfully—plucked alive for down.

When:   Friday, July 26, 12 noon

Where:  REI, 8300 W. Emerald St., Boise

“PETA wants shoppers to know that buying down products is every bit as cruel as purchasing fur, exotic skins, leather, or wool,” says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. “The rule of thumb is easy to remember: If a product came from an animal, the chances that abuse and suffering were involved are roughly 100 percent.”

Warm, animal-friendly bedding and winter clothing are available everywhere. 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 alternatives are superior to down, which loses much of its insulating properties when it gets wet.

In a new PETA video exposé, Alicia Silverstone offers a behind-the-scenes view of the down industry, showing how millions of geese and ducks are plucked 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.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.