Cruelty means that fur is far from glamorous

I WAS dismayed to read Stephanie Smith’s magazine feature (Yorkshire Post, November 19) extolling the glamour of real fur.

Is Stephanie aware that the majority of fur now comes from China and that there are no regulations governing fur farms in China and farmers can house and slaughter animals however they see fit?

The suffering of these animals is far from glamorous. A recent investigation revealed that some animals in China are kept in appalling conditions and can end their dismal lives being skinned alive, which is horrific.

Some of the animals are still alive with hearts beating for as long as 10 minutes after they are skinned.

Sadly, a growing number of fashion designers have shifted their business to China where the absence of restrictive regulations makes profit margins broader.

Fur from China ends up in so many places and although many mass-market fur trimmed garments do carry the “Made in China” label, raw fur pelts often move through international auctions before being sewn in other countries so the final product may also read ‘Made in Italy,” or “Made in France” making it impossible for consumers to know where the fur originates.

In addition, some “fake fur” including some counterfeit Ugg boots, kids toys and “fake fur trims” from China are made from real fur but are labelled as fake.

This is because it is cheaper to produce real fur than fake due to the appalling conditions. Real fur is far from glamorous, please make sure yours is fake.

The UK has a ban in place to not import fur from dogs, cats or seals but does not extend to other species so the cruelty continues but we must help to stop it.