Banning the sale of fur

VARV supports banning the sale of real animal fur in the City of Richmond.

Fur farms breed and confine animals in tiny, filthy cages where they suffer intense stress and unimaginable cruelty. They are beaten, bludgeoned, electrocuted, and skinned alive. Trapping animals in the wild is no better — animals are trapped in cruel leg hold traps where they can suffer for days in excruciating pain — starving, until a trapper returns to shoot or bludgeon them to death. Coyotes are known to attempt to chew off their own legs trying to break free. Many other animals are unintentionally caught and killed in these traps, including household pets. California has enacted a ban on the sale of fur. Several countries such as Norway, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, Japan, and the U.K. have taken steps to close fur farms. With public awareness and innovative alternatives on the rise, many popular designers have stopped using all animal fur. There are ethical alternatives to fur which are not only stylish and warm but environmentally friendly. Over the past couple of years, the two most notable fur retailers in Richmond have either moved out of the city or have gone out of business, which makes now an ideal time to ban the sale of the cruel product. This would set a precedent that Richmond is an animal friendly city to anyone who would like to sell fur here in the future, without financially disrupting businesses currently in operation.