Montreal, November 4 2014 – The Montreal SPCA, in partnership with the Association for the Protection of Fur Bearing Animals (APFA) and LUSH Cosmetics announce the launch of their new campaign Make Fur History, which aims to raise awareness of the plight of animals in the commercial fur trade.
Each year, in Canada, over 3 million animals are killed for their fur, 85% of whom are minks and foxes raised on fur farms. “Animals raised on fur farms spend their entire lives in barren wire-bottom cages, forced to live and die in conditions that do not meet their basic behavioural or physiological needs – all this in order to produce an unnecessary luxury item,” says Adrian Nelson, Director of Communications for APFA. “We want people to make that connection: most people care about animals, and once they understand the suffering of animals used for fur, we are confident they will join us to make fur history”.
There is virtually no legal protection for animals raised on fur farms in Canada. Provincial animal welfare laws in nearly every province exempt any and all practices that the fur industry deems acceptable, no matter how inhumane these practices may be. “Animals raised on fur farms are not afforded adequate legal protection – both the law and the fur industry treat them as commodities,” says Alanna Devine Director of Animal Advocacy at the Montreal SPCA. “Further, the national codes of practice, often cited by the fur industry as setting high standards of care for fur farmed animals, are entirely voluntary and permit many inhumane practices, such as the killing of foxes by anal electrocution”.
LUSH Cosmetics has a long history of opposing animal cruelty, including the commercial fur trade, so it was an easy decision for the company to partner with the Montreal SPCA and APFA for this campaign. “More than 100 million animals around the world are killed each year solely for their fur. It’s unnecessary, inhumane and needs to stop,” says Brandi Halls, Director of Brand Communications at LUSH. “With nearly 200 stores across North America, LUSH has a unique platform to create positive change in our world, and we will be working to educate the general public and our customers about the inhumane treatment of animals in the commercial fur trade. Knowledge is power and we want to empower people to take action and take a stand against fur!”
In the days leading up to today’s launch of the #makefurhistory campaign, LUSH launched furdiscounts.com, a website designed to lure in consumers interested in purchasing fur. While perusing ads for great deals on fur products, unsuspecting online shoppers are suddenly redirected to the www.makefurhistory.com website, which exposes the cruelty behind these products.
In addition to providing educational materials aimed at raising consumer awareness via its website, the #makefurhistory campaign is an action-oriented, interactive campaign. There are all sorts of ways people can get involved:
- Take the fur-free pledge at www.makefurhistory.com, share it with family and friends, and upload inspiring photos to social media sites using the #makefurhistory hashtag.
- Visit a LUSH store and purchase a Charity Pot to support the #makefurhistory campaign. If you happen to own fur, ditch it by dropping it off at any LUSH store in exchange for a cruelty-free product of your choice. Your fur item will then be donated to a wildlife rehabilitation center.
- Go to http://www.spca-mtlaction.com/mfh/retailer to send a letter to retailers, asking them to #makefurhistory by going fur-free. Also send a letter to the federal Minister of Agriculture, Gerry Ritz, requesting that fur farming be banned in Canada by visiting http://www.spca-mtlaction.com/mfh/minister.
- Go to www.makefurhistory.com to learn more about the fur industry and additional ways you can get involved in the campaign.
Together, Canadians can put an end to this inherently inhumane industry. Together, we can Make Fur History.
- Campaign video: click on this link
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Media contacts:
- Montreal SPCA: Anita Kapuscinska, Media Relations Coordinator, anitak@spca.com, 514-226-3932
- APFA: Adrian Nelson, Director of Communications, adrian@furbearerdefenders.com, 604-435-1850
- LUSH Cosmetics: Brandi Hall, Director of Brand Communications, brandi@lush.com, 604-345-5746
About the Montreal SPCA
The Montreal SPCA, founded in April 1869, was the first animal welfare organization in Canada. We have a long tradition of investigating abuses committed against animals, rescuing and adopting out hundreds of thousands of animals, and to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves. Today we are the largest society for the protection of animals in Quebec. We welcome and care for more than 14 000 animals per year. Our veterinarians sterilize over 5 000 animals a year and provide care to animals brought to us injured or in need of assistance. We investigate thousands of cruelty cases and urge action against those who abuse animals. We fight every day to defend the interests of all animals, including livestock, pets and wildlife. For more information, please visit our website at www.spca.com.
About the Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals
The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals was formed under the British Columbia Society’s Act in 1953 with the goal of ending the cruelty of the fur trade. Leading up to this formation, concerned citizens worked with trappers to develop ‘humane’ traps that would eliminate cruelty. But by the 1960s, it was determined by the organization that this was not possible, and as fur is an unnecessary commodity, the focus of APFA changed. Today, the Association focuses on trapping, fur farms and the dog and cat fur trade, in addition to a broad Living with Wildlife campaign for municipalities and landowners. The Association is entirely funded by private donations and receives no government funding.
About LUSH Cosmetics
LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics offers scented selections of ethical skin care, hair care, bath and body treats, as well as off-beat gift ideas loaded with natural ingredients. A self-appointed cosmetic-deli, LUSH makes effective products out of fresh organic fruits and vegetables, the finest essential oils and without testing our products or ingredients on animals. Since LUSH came on the scene 19 years ago, its philosophy has always been based on ethics and having the least impact on the environment while still producing effective and innovative beauty products. In doing so, LUSH products are 100% vegetarian, 74% vegan, 65% preservative-free, and 58% free of wasteful packaging with absolutely no animal testing being done on LUSH products or ingredients. These ethics are at the heart of the brand and will remain there with every new shop that opens globally.
