Campaign Launched to Make West Hollywood a Fur-free City
An Animal Rights Article from All-Creatures.org

FROM

Hayley Marie Norman, This Dish Is Veg
January 2011

[Ed. Note: For more information, contact Last Chance for Animals (LCA)]

I hope this loud statement initiated by this small but powerful city sends a message to some of the industries most important designers that fur is no longer synonymous with fashion and luxury, but with sheer cruelty and quite simply, will no longer be tolerated.

Hooray for Hollywood! As a resident of West Hollywood myself, I have to say that I am very proud that the progressive city I call home announced a campaign on Tuesday to make West Hollywood the first fur-free city in the United States. The passing of this legislation would effectively ban the production and commerce of fur in one of the world's most fashion forward and savvy communities.

The activists and city council candidate who are spearheading the compassionate movement say they feel confident about persuading the City Council because West Hollywood is notorious for their history with advocating animal welfare.

According to CNN:

The city has already banned the declawing of cats, prohibited pet stores from doing business with puppy mills and changed ordinances to call a pet owner a "guardian," organizers said. In 1989, the city was proclaimed a "cruelty-free zone for animals" when it passed a resolution banning cosmetic testing on animals and steel-jaw leghold traps.

"West Hollywood is one of the most progressive, forward-thinking cities," Ed Buck, an organizer for Fur Free WeHo, told CNN.

"This campaign is not just about banning fur but promoting West Hollywood as the capital of fur-free fashion," especially in its boutique district that includes a Stella McCartney store, which already shuns furs, Buck added.

Although Israel has pushed for a similar ban, if this legislation is approved, West Hollywood will become the first fur free city in the world. The United Kingdom and Ireland have banned fur farms that deal in production, but not commerce.

This coming Saturday animal welfare activists are holding a kickoff rally in their beloved city. John D'Amico, who is running for a city council seat, will be one of the guest speakers at the event.

"West Hollywood has the opportunity to once again be a leader for animal welfare by becoming the first fur-free city in the nation," D'Amico said in a statement. "We have pledged to be a place that is free of cruelty to animals and we can no longer support the barbaric fur trade by selling the products of that cruelty in our city." He certainly gets my vote!

This would be a momentous occasion for not just West Hollywood and the animals whose lives will be spared, but also the fashion industry as a whole. West Hollywood is a mecca for forward thinkers who use their voice as a catalyst for much needed change. I hope this loud statement initiated by this small but powerful city sends a message to some of the industries most important designers that fur is no longer synonymous with fashion and luxury, but with sheer cruelty and quite simply, will no longer be tolerated.

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