Will Aretha Franklin’s Furs Go to PETA?

PETA Hopes Queen of Soul’s Estate Will Leave a Legacy of Kindness

For Immediate Release:
August 24, 2018

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

This morning, PETA sent a letter asking the late Aretha Franklin’s estate to donate her vast fur coat collection to PETA’s fur donation program, which sends furs to people in need in refugee camps and at homeless shelters as well as to wildlife rehabilitation facilities, which turn them into bedding for orphaned wildlife.

If Franklin’s family accepts PETA’s offer, Franklin will posthumously join the long list of celebrities who have donated unwanted fur coats to PETA (whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear”), including Anjelica Huston, Mariah Carey, Kim Cattrall, Mary Tyler Moore, and Sharon Osbourne.

“By donating Aretha Franklin’s fur coats to PETA, her family could expand her legacy of social justice to animals,” says PETA Executive President Tracy Reiman. “While we can’t bring back the animals who suffered and died for them, these coats can help others by providing some much-needed warmth to orphaned animals and humans in desperate need.”

For more information, please visit PETA.org.

PETA’s letter to Sabrina Garrett Owens follows.

Dear Sabrina,

We’re so sorry for the loss of your aunt. The world has lost an amazing talent, and we’re grateful that her music will live on.

Aretha will always be remembered for all that she did to help empower African-American people, especially women, in her lifetime. Might we now call on her estate to help end the cruel era of wearing animal fur by donating her fur coats to PETA, where they’ll go on to offer warmth and comfort to those who need it the most? In the past, we’ve given donated fur coats—some coming from other wonderful women including Anjelica Huston, Mariah Carey, and Mary Tyler Moore—to homeless shelters in the U.S. (including in Detroit) and to displaced refugees in Afghanistan, Mongolia, and Syria.

Designers, brands, and stores are dropping fur as quickly as consumers are ditching it. As faux fur and other cruelty-free, vegan materials take over, real animal fur can be put to good use, and this generous donation would secure Aretha forever as an “Angel” for animals.

Thank you for your time and consideration. Please let us know if there’s anything that we can do to help you and your family through this difficult time.

Best regards,

Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman, PETA