In Defense of Animals is thrilled to share the news that major fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana has committed to banning animal fur from all future collections. The fashion house confirmed its ethical commitment to In Defense of Animals today. In Defense of Animals has campaigned to end the fur trade since the 80s and helped create the longest-running animal protection demonstration in the world, known as Fur Free Friday. Over 9,000 supporters signed In Defense of Animals’ latest alert urging Dolce & Gabbana to ban fur.
“Fur causes extreme cruelty to animals, and we appreciate Dolce & Gabbana’s efforts to set the trend for compassion,” said Fleur Dawes, Communications Director for In Defense of Animals. “Clothing and accessories needn’t harm animals. We urge all designers to follow suit by ditching all fabrics made from animal fur and skin.”
The fashion industry kills around 100 million animals for fur each year, including approximately 2 million dogs and cats.
Clothing and accessories made from fur are the product of immense suffering and cruelty. Furbearing animals, including mink, foxes, raccoons, and rabbits, among other species, are confined to filthy, cramped cages for prolonged periods. The terrified animals are deprived of space, socialization, and everything they need to thrive in the wild. They may be bludgeoned, gassed, or vaginally or anally electrocuted. Undercover footage of fur farms has shown that they may even be skinned alive.
Even more animals are trapped in the wild, where they suffer in snares and traps until they die of starvation or dehydration or trappers return to shoot them.
The fur-free movement is sweeping the fashion industry as the demand for compassionately made apparel continues to climb. Mega-retailers no longer selling fur include Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Saks Fifth Avenue, H&M, and many more. Canada Goose, Gucci, Yves Saint Laurent, Alexander McQueen, Balenciaga, and Moncler have all committed to eliminating fur from their designs.
Fur bans have been enacted in San Francisco, West Hollywood, and Los Angeles within the last several years. In 2019, In Defense of Animals and its allies celebrated a ground-breaking victory when California became the first state in the country to ban fur sales and fur trapping.
“We wholeheartedly celebrate Dolce & Gabbana’s decision to eliminate animal fur from its designs. Consumers have made it abundantly clear: fur is cruel, outdated, and ugly,” said Julie Massa, Fur Campaigner for In Defense of Animals.
Take action against fur at furkills.org.
Learn more about the horrific cruelty of animal fibers.
Although this is of course good news, Dolce & Gabbana is about 20 years behind the times. A company that goes kicking and screaming toward compassion is, in my mind, disingenuous, and doesn’t deserve a lot of accolades.