Victory! Australian Department Stores Go Fur Free!

Countless animals will be spared from having their fur ripped from their backs now that David Jones, Myer, Target, Big W and Kmart have all announced that they will be fur-free – effective immediately!

In a move that reflects massive public support for an end to the fur trade, Myer has become the latest company to announce its pledge, with its general manager of corporate affairs, Jo Lynch, saying, ”More and more stores around the world have a no-fur policy and we took on board the feedback of customers”. Ms Lynch added that ”Community views on the use of fur in merchandise have changed, regardless of the source of that fur”.

Almost three-quarters of the fur sold in Australia comes from China, where there are no penalties for abusing animals who are slaughtered in the name of fashion. Animals on fur farms spend their entire lives confined to cramped, filthy wire cages. Fur farmers use the cheapest and cruellest killing methods available, including suffocation, electrocution, gassing and poisoning.

Cats and dogs are among the animals killed for their fur in China, and imported fur is often intentionally mislabelled so that if you wear any fur, there’s no way of knowing whose skin you’re in.

But as Myer, David Jones and other department stores have recognised, whether fur has come from a dog kept in a filthy wire cage in China or a rabbit gassed to death in Australia, there is no such thing as ethical fur.

Fortunately, there is no need to be cruel to stay warm and look cool. Faux furs are available in stores everywhere, and PETA continues to work with leading designers and clothing retailers to encourage them to use and sell fashions made exclusively from animal-friendly materials.

With these major retailers joining the pledge against fur, it has never been easier to get that killer look without the killing!

Posted by Claire Fryer