* Many people's whole way of life depends on the fur
trade
The greatest strength of humankind lies in its endless
ability to adapt. People can change their way of life given the
opportunity (and they must be given that opportunity) but for the
animals that are killed there is no life, they have lost everything.
* Killing animals that we consider damaging to the
environment
Culling is a term which usually describes the killing of
animals that we consider to be in some way damaging to the environment.
In other words pests. We arrogantly exclude from this solution the
single most damaging animal of all....ourselves.
Of the tens of millions of animals killed for their fur
every year the vast majority are either farmed or trapped in their
natural habitat where, as part of a natural ecosystem, they pose no
threat to the environment.
* Animals suffer in the wild anyway
Animals can, and often do, suffer in the wild but that
does not give us a reason or excuse to add to their suffering.
* Most fur animals are killers themselves
Some animals are predators. They have to kill other
animals in order to survive. Human beings choose to kill animals for
material profit, vanity and because they like the taste of them. It is
not the same thing at all -- the predators have no choice, we do.
* Fur animals are bred for it
Animals bred specifically for their fur are not only
deprived of their lives, but unlike their wild counterparts, they are
also deprived of their freedom. Fur farming is therefore an even greater
abuse of animal rights than hunting and trapping.
In the wild, a mink will defend a territory of 2 1/2
miles of riverbank or 22 acres of marshland. An arctic fox ranges over
anything from 2,100-15,000 acres and yet on fur farms these animals are
kept in tiny wire mesh cages. Such is their frustration that they become
psychotic. Many are driven to cannibalism and self-mutilation.
* I didn't kill the animal
The animal was killed for you and at your expense. Your
money will also finance the slaughter of many more.
You don't have to physically kill something (or someone)
to be guilty of their death.
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