THE GRIM REAPER COMES TO WESTCHESTER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT: KILEY BLACKMAN
[email protected]
www.adow.org
FUR TRADE PROTEST -
WHITE PLAINS, NY Saturday, December 9, 2000 Members of
Animal
Defenders of Westchester will join for a demonstration
on Saturday, December 9, from 2:30 - 4:00 p.m. in front of Georgeou Fur
Shop, 212 East Post Road in White Plains, to protest their use of animal fur
for coats, trimmings, etc.
Over two-thirds of the fur produced today comes from
concentration camp-like fur farms. The animals have to try and survive
extreme conditions in tiny wire mesh cases, where 17% of mink and 20% of
foxes die prematurely, suffering from poor diets, inadequate water,
diseases, parasites and severe stress. Thoser animals which survive these
cruel conditions are later killed by means of genital electrocution,
suffocation, neck breaking, gassing and/or injections of weed killer. In all
of these cases, the methods of killing are torturous for the animals, as
there are no humane slaughter laws to protect the animals on these farms. In
many cases, the animal is still alive while she is being skinned.
The United States is the leading fur-trapping nation in
the world.
All of these traps tear skin, rip tendons, and often
times break bones of animals like read and gray foxes, wolves, beavers,
raccoons, oppossums and coyotes. The ten million animals caught in traps
also do not include non-target animals. Valentine, an abandoned, starving
and beaten dog with broken bones, found by the side of a road, was nursed
back to health by her new family. She was obedience trained and ran in races
to raise money for an animal shelter. During a daily jog with her family in
a well used park she died screaming in a trap. Russell, a terrier, was on
his daily walk when he died by the side of the road in his own neighborhood
while his guardian watched helplessly. Imagine what these traps can do to a
child.
The number of non-target animals caught in traps is
impossible to measure. Most traps do not kill the animals instantly;
instead, most animals are forced to suffer in pain while part of their
bodies are caught in the trap. Animals can remain in these traps for days
until the trappers check them to see if an animal has been caught.
Many die from blood loss, infections or hypothermia.
Those who survive are usually stomped, clubbed or beaten to death by the
trappers. Up to one out of every four animals trapped chews her foot off to
escape, but usually dies later from blood loss or infection.
Fur production not only causes tremendous animal
suffering, it also damages the environment in countless ways. Fur ranches
often pollute the soil and water due to the large quantities of excrement
and the carcasses they create, plus the large amount of chemicals used to
treat the skins. They also consume large amounts of food, water and energy
resources. In fact, it takes at least three times as much energy to produce
a real fur coat as a man-made one.
Trapping also has negative effects on the environment;
it disrupts predator-prey relationships, interferes with the balance of
nature, and contributes to the spread of rabies by removing healthy animals
from the population. Plus, all fur coats require caustic chemicals to
process and maintain the pelts.
The Grim Reaper will be at Georgeou's, as well as live
animals who will show why it's wrong to wear real fur.
