Cruelty Uncaged: European Fur Farm Laws (2018)
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

BornFreeUSA.org
November 2018

This report analyzes the current state of fur farm legislation in Europe, assigning each country to a tier on a points-based system that ranks the common aspects of these regulations.

fox
Fox in a fur farm - Image by Jo-Anne McArthur, We Animals

Millions of animals of many species, such as foxes, mink, chinchillas, rabbits, coypu, and raccoon dogs, live and die on cruel fur farms, which supply more than 85% of fur used in fashion. On fur farms, animals live miserable lives of extreme confinement and are denied the ability to engage in natural behaviors they otherwise would exhibit in the wild.

This report analyzes the current state of fur farm legislation in Europe, assigning each country to a tier on a points-based system that ranks the common aspects of these regulations. In analyzing the current state of fur farming in European countries, we can determine each nation’s progress toward shifting away from fur production and determine which nations are the biggest causes for concern. We can further identify the areas in which each country needs to improve and where efforts need to be focused in lobbying for stricter legislation or for complete bans on fur farms.

Main Findings

Several Nations Have Fully or Partially Banned or Decided to Phase Out Fur Farming

Five countries (United Kingdom, Austria, Croatia, Macedonia, and Slovenia) have instituted bans on fur farming. Seven countries (Luxembourg, Czech Republic, Serbia, Belgium, Norway, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the Netherlands) are phasing out fur farms. And, one country – Germany – has a partial fur farm ban in four of its states.

Some Countries Have Few, if Any, Fur Farm Regulations

Some well-known fur-producing countries, such as Bulgaria, Romania, Lithuania, and Russia, do not have fur farming regulations in place.

Laws and Regulations Often Go Ignored

Even when fur farm regulations are on the books, fur farms often ignore these laws and face no consequences for doing so. For instance, although almost every European country requires fur farms to offer prompt veterinary care to ill or injured animals, fur farms often do not abide by these requirements.

You can DOWNLOAD THE REPORT HERE (pdf). 

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