This week marks the fifth anniversary of COVID-19, a disease that jumped from animals to humans and stopped the world. To prevent future pandemics from emerging, we need to act now to end high-risk practices such as fur farming. In the run up to this anniversary we brought statements from global public health experts to UK Parliamentarians to highlight how we must act now to stop the ticking time bomb of the fur trade. 

Last Thursday we shared statements from Dr Natalia Cediel Becerra (Associate Professor and Researcher at Universidad de La Salle, Colombia and OHHLEP member), Ann Linder (Associate Director of Policy and Research at Harvard Law School - Animal Law and Policy Program),Dr Jakob Zinsstag (University of Basel, who is also a OHHLEP Member) and Dr Hope Ferdowsian [University of New Mexico  School of Medicine] who were all sounding the alarm on the danger of the fur trade to human health. 

Many will remember with horror the images of millions of animals from fur farms being culled, as the disease spread from humans to animals, and in some cases back to humans, on hundreds of fur farms. The events of five years ago highlighted the clear connection between animal welfare and human health and how our treatment of animals can have a devastating effect, not only on their health, but on global public health too.  

The inhumane and unsanitary conditions on farms are cruel to the animals forced to endure them, and they also create the perfect environment for the emergence, spread and mutation of zoonotic diseases. Last week we highlighted just this and why we must enact change now. We’re pleased to say that MPs and Peers from across the houses joined us to hear these words of warning and pledged their support for Ruth Jones MPs Fur (Import and Sale) Bill as it progresses through Parliament.  

It is widely accepted that the British public find fur morally abhorrent. We hope that last week’s event and the endorsement from global health experts will help raise awareness about the additional grave public health risks of the fur trade and assist us in securing more support for vital legislation which will move us closer towards ending the UK’s role in the unnecessary fur trade.  

Please look out for future emails from us in which we will call on your help to ensure your MP supports the Fur (Import and Sale) Bill in its Second Reading on June 13.