Let’s Put the “Humane” Back in Humanity

Introduction

It is hard to believe that in a world of dog fighting, of the slaughter of sharks for the high price of their fins, and of the general horror of neglect that we find in the lives of domesticated animals one can still be shocked by reports of animal cruelty. Unfortunately, we can be. One of the most horrific practices, one of the most blatant acts of inhumanity carried out against defenseless animals is the current practices carried out by the fur industry in China. With no government regulations, the media all but barred from witnessing and reporting firsthand the atrocities carried out on these farms, and the continuing demand for “fur” around the globe, this lucrative business thrives and will continue to do so until consumers know the cruelties of the trade and are ready to make a change in their own lives and to facilitate a change in society’s attitudes about animals and animal cruelty as a whole.

 

The Helpless and the Hopeless

As many seemingly decent people around the world demand their fur coats and hats, the inflictions placed upon the source of that fur remains a mystery. Before being skinned alive, these animals—foxes, rabbits, raccoons, dogs, minks, and others—are kept in cramped cages, freezing, underfed, and very, very frightened. Most of these animals display extreme anxiety; many females who give birth kill their own young. The animals are kept in these wired cages for long periods of time, until their time comes. Skinners pull the animals by their legs from the cages; to prevent struggling, the skinners beat the animals with wooden bats, sometimes killing them but more often not. The animals are flipped over and the slicing of the fur from around their legs or at the base of the stomach begins. Skinners often have to beat the animals again to prevent their moving and causing uneven cuts; clean cuts are important for the quality of the pelts.
Once the initial cuts are made, the skin is ripped away from the animal’s flesh. Carefully, the skin is stacked to prepare for sale; carelessly, the still breathing, naked animals are thrown into a pile to be discarded later. Unfortunately, these animals lie in these stacked piles, alive and often conscious for long periods of time until their breath finally goes and their open, exposed wounds succumb to the freezing conditions.
Some of these farms have thousands of animals waiting to die in this manner.

 

Supply and Demand…Restraint and Action

As despicable as the conditions of these animals’ deaths are, we are left to consider the responsibility the market has for these cruel acts. Coats, scarves, boots, furniture—just about anything one can think of can be purchased with the fur of the Chinese fur trade. Over 80% of the world’s fur can be traced back to China. Although the origins of many items may not immediately be discernable because of mislabeling or a “strategic” placement of those labels (that is one that is unlikely to be discovered by the customer), intelligent, mindful consumers need to be aware of the possibility, indeed the probability, that the furry item in which they are interested comes from the bloody heap of mangled creatures in the Chinese fur farms.
As consumers, it is our responsibility to be aware of these things, to seek out information and to base our decisions to buy or not to buy on this information. We should demand more from the retail stores in which shop; we should make it clear that we refuse to support a store that is part of this market. We should expect more from our friends and family, whom we must actively educate about the cruelties of the fur trade and the need to boycott the fur industry entirely. But most important, we must all expect more from ourselves; to know about these injustices and to do nothing about them is worse than the person who ignorantly supports them. We must be proactive and work to change things through our own actions and our dissemination of information.

The Powers that Be

Again, much can be done “in the trenches” among friends, family, the stores we frequent, and the community of which we are directly a part. However, the real power to change these things lies in the governments that sustain the fur market. We must demand from the Chinese government that they acknowledge the actions of fur traders are barbaric and do not reflect the standing of China in the world community. But we also must demand from our own governments—in North America, South America Europe, and Asia—that stricter regulations on fur imports must be established. That countries like the United States or England would even allow such products for general sale is unbelievable, in fact immoral, and contributes immensely to the survivability of this horrible industry.

Change...

The slaughter of these animals does not have to persist. It is within the power of us, the consumer and the voter, to change things. Without a market for these furs, there would be no fur industry. If politicians know that their views and policies on such issues matter and that OUR vote in large part hinges on such issues…well, we might see things get better quickly. We might see animal cruelty decrease. We might even be able to look at these animals in their eyes and show, with conviction, that humanity can still be humane.