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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 byproduct” 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!” Order
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)
askus@bebe.com
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