There is only one thing fur producers consider when they are killing animals: don’t damage the pelt. An imperfect pelt means less profits.
Other than that, there are no rules, a point that helps to explain why fur production is considered one of the worst and cruelest industries in existence. Common killing methods include electrocution and neck-breaking, and it’s been documented multiple times that the industry’s animal victims are sometimes skinned while still alive and conscious.
There are no regulations or federal laws protecting the animals as they languish in small, wire-bottomed cages for their entire lives. Multiply that cruelty by the tens of millions, and that is the international fur industry. All that violence, all that misery and all that brutality for a handbag, hat or jacket.
With a “yes” vote on the 308 ballot initiative in the November election, the people of Denver have an opportunity to stand up and be counted as advocates for those millions of foxes, mink, raccoon dogs, rabbits and beavers. In dissociating ourselves from such cruelty, we can save countless lives and strengthen the market for eco-friendly alternatives increasingly being embraced by global fashion brands.
Since most fur products come from China, which kills over 10 million animals annually for their fur, ending fur sales in Denver is the single most meaningful step our city can take to signal our rejection of that cruelty.
Boulder, which ended fur sales in 2021, is one of 16 other municipalities across the U.S. to take this step. So has the whole state of California, and over 20 countries, whose people and governments have banned fur farming because of the cruelty involved and the risks it poses to public health, since fur-farmed animals can pass viruses like COVID-19 and avian flu to humans.
Denver’s citizen-led initiative, like the one in Boulder, makes commonsense exemptions for used or vintage fur, fur used for Native American cultural purposes, and products that come from livestock: leather, wool and fibers from a wide range of species such as cows, buffalo, alpaca, sheep and goats — domesticated species that have at least some protections under law — are all permitted.
Hunters and trappers can sell fur they legally obtained, and anglers can use that fur to make fishing lures. These exemptions should make it possible for all citizens, including those with concerns about their livelihoods and hobbies, to support a transition to other, more humane materials, understanding that certain industries and practices closely tied to cultural practices or outdoor activities will not be impacted.
But the lives of so many animals will be impacted, in the best possible way. In the wild, foxes and mink play, swim, dig, run and care for their young, enjoying themselves in their natural habitats and life and fulfilling their important roles in our ecosystems. But as captives on fur factory farms, they are stripped of everything that is natural to them. Because of that, they go insane, pacing back-and-forth in cages and resorting to self-mutilation. If you haven’t seen what the inside of a fur factory farm looks like, you can search the internet for video and other documentation from undercover investigations that give a glimpse of the grim horrors these animals must endure every day.
Yes on 308 gives us a chance to turn the page, not just for Denver, but for the broader world that has increasingly come to reject fur’s myriad cruelties. While it may be hard to imagine that this sort of cruelty still exists in modern life and for something so non-consequential as fashion, it is easy to see the value in our joining together to consign it to history. There is no reason for Denver to condone an international fur trade that continues to deal out such terrible suffering to innocent animals.
Please visit Yeson308Denver.org for more information.
Aubyn Royall is a 13-year Denver resident, an attorney and graduate from the University of Denver Sturm College of Law, and the Colorado state director for the Humane Society of the United States.
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