Great news for animal rights advocates and the furry critters they seek to protect. Late last week, Burlington Stores (formerly Burlington Coats Factory) pledged to go 100 percent fur-free after activists like you, the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) pressured the company to change. What this means is that no fur will be incorporated into any of the company’s vast offerings of coats and other garments.

As the President of HSUS points out, Burlington has close to 600 stores and rakes in $6 billion in revenue. Because of this, its example matters. Hopefully, its fur-free policy inspires other companies to ditch real fur to accommodate more ethically-minded consumers. In the past year, Gucci and Yoox Net-a-Porter committed to going fur-free, and Armani partnered with the HSUS to ditch fur from its production line, as well. Clearly, it is possible.

Credit: Pixabay

The new policy mandates: “Burlington Stores will not knowingly procure or sell items containing real animal fur beginning in the Fall of 2017.” In the case fur does end up in its possession, the company will take the steps necessary to make sure it does not profit from the mishap. Employees will also take care to prevent the mistakenly-procured fur items from ending up on the market.

“If we learn of real animal fur in our assortments, we will either return that merchandise to the vendor or donate the merchandise to a charitable, not-for-resale organization,” the policy stipulates.

This isn’t the first time Burlington and the HSUS have collaborated to address problems within the fur industry. In the late 1990’s, the HSUS and Burlington partnered to rid its shelves of dog fur. When dog fur was found in its stock later on, the company took action to make sure it would never occur again. Burlington worked with the animal rights organization to pass the Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000. Essentially, this made it illegal to sell dog fur.

Later on, when the HSUS discovered real fur being sold as faux fur by some of the biggest players in the fashion industry, including Barneys NY, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Burlington, the  Truth in Fur Labeling Act was passed. This made it easier for consumers to know if they were buying real or faux fur.

Credit: Pixabay

There is no longer any need to kill and skin animals for their fur. First of all, the process is a cruel one. Every year, more than 1 billion habits and 50 million other animals, such as foxes, seals, mink, and dogs — are raised on fur farms and trapped in the wild, then killed for their pelts. Depending on the size of the pelt, up to 100 animals or more may be murdered for a single coat. Second of all, technology has made fur products unnecessary. Thermal wear is easy to find, and faux fur alternatives are just as soft — and cleaner — than the real thing.

If you think it is past time humans stop relying on and exploiting animals, please share this news and comment your thoughts below!

Source: HSUS, Burlington