The highs and lows of fur in 2022
It feels like fur-ever ago that we spoke about fur, so here’s an update on this year’s progress!
It’s hard to believe that December is right around the corner and that Fur Free Friday is already upon us! Whilst 2022 did not offer us the #FurFreeBritain we had hoped for, there were still several great achievements worthy of celebrating.
Moncler and Dolce&Gabbana pledge to go fur-free
The start of the year saw these two luxury brand powerhouses pledge to go fur-free and remove all animal fur from their products! We expect Moncler to phase out fur by spring 2024, with D&G citing a ‘change in consumer tastes’ as their reason for transitioning to eco-friendly faux fur alternatives.
The Republic of Ireland Announced an end to fur farming
They also announced the closure of their last three fur farms in 2022 in a spring which saw the first of multiple fur farming bans to be introduced in Europe. .
European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) for a #FurFreeEurope launched
As a member of the Fur Free Alliance, FOUR PAWS supported the launch of the European Citizens’ Initiative (ECI) for a #FurFreeEurope. With a target of one million signatures by May 2023, the ECI has already garnered over 608,000 signatures! This means Europe is one step closer to banning fur farming and the import of farmed fur products – if you have any friends or family who are EU citizens, why not ask them to sign the petition and help #MakeFurHistory?
Bulgaria closed its last remaining fur farm
Bulgaria became the second European country to act against fur after announcing a ban on the breeding and import of American Mink, leading to the closure of Bulgaria’s last remaining fur farm. Disappointingly however, an appeal lodged in August by the Bulgarian Supreme Administrative Court currently sees this ban temporarily postponed.
Malta announced a ban on the production of both fur and foie gras
In a double hit, Malta announced a ban on the production of both fur and foie gras with immediate effect! Since Malta currently has no operating fur farms, the ban will act as a precautionary measure to prevent fur farmers from moving into Malta from other countries. In the world of fashion, Copenhagen fashion week joined Oslo, Amsterdam and Helsinki and banned fur from their show for the first time in history!
We handed in 300,000 signatures to end the import and sale of fur and foie gras in the UK
As European countries made efforts to end the cruel fur trade, the UK Government sat dormant with not even a mention of fur in the late Queen’s Speech. To show the Government that there is no place for fur in Britain, we rallied supporters alongside HSI/UK and PETA and handed in almost 300,000 signatures in support of Chris Packham’s petition to end the import and sale of fur and foie gras in the UK.
Whilst we were reminding our Prime Minister to #DontBetrayAnimals, Latvia became the fourth European country in 2022 to introduce a fur farming ban. This momentous ban is due to be enforced in 2028, allowing a five-year transitional period for farmers of the 274,000 animals still being farmed for fur in Latvia as of 2022.
Fraser's Group announced an end to their sale of fur
Thanks to your help, we were delighted to announce that Fraser’s Group, owners of House of Fraser and Sports Direct, finally announced an end to the sale of fur in their products! As one of the last high street shops to still purposefully sell fur, this landmark decision puts us one step closer to a #FurFreeBritain, and we couldn’t have done it without you! You can read more about our long journey of campaigning against House of Fraser here.
Improving policies and undertaking rescues
Behind the scenes, we have been hard at work talking to UK fashion brands about improving their animal welfare policies. Whilst already being a fur-free brands for several years now, New Look took the next step and joined the https://furfreeretailer.com/Fur Free Retailer program. By joining the programme, New Look are adding their voice to the movement against fur and setting a fantastic example to other brands that are sadly still selling fur.
This month also saw the rescue of two raccoon dogs, Asami and Emi, and three foxes, Skadi, Mala and Samara, from a Polish fur farm where they were destined to be killed in the next harvest season. As ambassadors for why we must put an end to fur farming, these five friends can now live out the rest of their lives in a species-appropriate fur-ever home at FOUR PAWS’ TIERART Wild Animal Sanctuary in Germany.
And that’s a wrap!
As you can see, 2022 has been a year full of countries and fashion brands taking a stand against the fur industry.
We will keep working towards a #FurFreeBritain, and we hope we can count on you to speak up and use your voice for these animals!
