FUR | SAMPLE LETTERS

Please visit FUR | SKIN section for video footage, actions, information, and additional resources.


SAMPLE LETTER ONE

SAMPLE LETTER TWO

SAMPLE LETTER THREE

SAMPLE LETTER FOUR | BORN FREE

SAMPLE LETTER EDITOR | BORN FREE

SAMPLE LETTERS FIVE | FURKILLS.ORG

SAMPLE LETTERS SIX | IDA

SAMPLE LETTER SEVEN | WSPA

SAMPLE LETTER ONE:

To Whom It Concerns,

I am writing today to share my concern regarding your support of the fur industry; it is my understanding that you not only engage in the deliberate act of victimization of animals, their suffering, and their hideous deaths, but that you also disregard these facts, instead adopting human-manufactured definitions to exonerate yourself.

Although I find it important to establish an understanding in the spirit of respectful dialogue, I will abandon my customary request and instead adopt a more unforgiving approach; your “humane label” to ensure that only those animals who are treated humanely are killed for their fur is a self-serving effort to solicit approval on behalf of the savage industry you commercially support. Allow me to correct what I believe is your gross misinformation and erroneous statements. When you consider “humane” protocols, you are only considering yourself: welfare is defined by the butchers and the profiteers of the fur and skin industries. These are neither humane nor compassionate practices and are adopted to serve humans, not animals. Indeed, the only benefactor of welfarist implements are people who are seeking ethical approval as the result of such as well as the industries who desire relief from the pressure of opponents. Any animal, regardless of surroundings or treatments, who is viciously killed, regardless of age, is treated in an inherently-barbaric manner; humane killing is an oxymoron, a myth, a contradiction of actions: it is impossible to deliberately slaughter an animal for such frivolity and regard it as a humane action. In fact, killing unnecessarily without regard to the animal’s right to life is the embodiment of suffering; a life that is prematurely, egotistically, and violently terminated cannot be characterized as “cruelty-free”, a human-manufactured term you embrace for your advantage, not the animal’s. Are you aware that the accepted slaughtering standard for the fur industry is to skin alive? It imparts the least damage to a pelt, and animals are frequently subjected to this vicious and barbaric slaughter method. Would you consider that a demonstration of a “good life” with no “harm”?

Humans are capable, indeed obligated, to acknowledge animals as sentient beings who, like humans, experience love, anguish, pain, and suffering. Human apathy as established by the usage of fabrications and euphemisms reflects a lack of respect, not only for animals, but also for humans, and I implore upon you to examine your role in the suffering of animals and your unscrupulous conduct as host to such a cruel business. As such, as long as you unnecessarily and selfishly capitalizes on the mutilation, torture, and death of animals, I will not financially support you or your associated products. Furthermore, I will share this information with family, friends, colleagues, and members of online communities.

Please make both the ethical and responsible decision to discontinue your commercial support of fur immediately: join an increasing body of corporations who are listening to a concerned and attentive consumer population who refuse to be complicit in the inherently malicious industry of fur farming.  I hope this letter finds you willing to scrutinize your own involvement and desire to protect rather than harm animals.

NAME
ADDRESS

SAMPLE LETTER TWO:

To Whom It Concerns,

I am shocked to discover that you sell products made from the fur of non-human animals; due to the inherently-brutal industries of fur farming, any products derived from the suffering and killing of animals should be rejected, and I am respectfully requesting that you discontinue profiting off the exploitation of animals.

Allow me to illustrate what I believe to be your contribution to the violent practice of animal farming by sharing particular characteristics: tens of millions of animals are subjected to the most exploitative rituals and torturous conditions as practiced by the skin and fur industries. In accordance with established protocols, these industries condemn animals to horrific environments and methods of death including the deliberate skinning alive, anal and genital electrocution, and gassing, all selected to impart the least damage to fur pelts and skin. Contrary to industry publications meant to cultivate an appeal to vanity or luxury, however, the standardized policies regarding animals bred and killed for fur and skin additionally include housing in substandard enclosures where animals live in diseased conditions, inadequate nutrition, and an environment where animals pace relentlessly due to illness, boredom, and pain. Because these animals are either caught in barbaric traps or bred to be killed, any comforts are considered cost-prohibitive and thus denied.

Speciesism, the prejudicial regard elevating human animals to a superior status as compared to non-human animals, thus validating a lack of compassion towards them, is dangerous and immoral. This is not an ideal precept but rather an unethical and disgusting display of bias. The fact that human animals strive endlessly to disguise the deliberate enslavement, torture, and killing of animals using solicitous excuses such as need, desire, want, and finances demonstrates the fundamentally specious nature of such justifications! Indeed, if you replace pig, cow, dog, or deer with human, you will shock yourself into a disturbing submission of shame: duplicitous exclamations may serve to benefit you, but they do nothing to conceal the deaths of others. When a life is intentionally taken so maliciously and callously, that it was human or non-human is irrelevant, that it was taken so maliciously and callously IS. The devalue of life, and the disregard of suffering and death does not make the action invisible or obscured or acceptable, it only makes it appropriate to the people who exploit a definition, who corrupt sentience, and who subvert life to validate the deliberate termination of it.

Please reconsider your position and remember that the real victims are those whose blood you so callously deem irrelevant: whose lives are ended at the beginning of a weapon, stolen as inconsequential by hands demanding death. Share your disgrace of fur with the global community who also rejects it by discontinuing the sale of it. Until such a time you no longer engage in the commerce of the suffering and torture of sentient animals, I will not be able to support you. It is important to recognize that consumers are exercising their right to choose businesses who refuse fur over those who continue to profit from it.

Thank you for taking the time to consider this important request.

NAME
ADDRESS

SAMPLE LETTER THREE:

To Whom It Concerns,

I am shocked to discover that [    ]  is still commercially engaged with the fur industry. Due to the inherently-brutal business of fur farming, any products derived for or from the suffering and killing of animals should be rejected, and I am respectfully requesting that [   ] finally discontinues profiting off the exploitation of animals.

Please watch the undercover footage of the industry you promote: animals are forced to endure deplorable conditions including living in cramped, feces-crusted cages; suffering from sickness and disease; lacking an enriching environment; and being subjected to substandard diets and severe psychological trauma.  They are then butchered via anal electrocution, gassing, skinning alive, and forced trauma.  Why in the world would you WANT to cause such suffering?

Humans are capable, indeed obligated, to acknowledge animals as sentient beings who, like humans, experience love, anguish, pain, and suffering. Human apathy as established by the usage of fabrications and euphemisms reflects a lack of respect, not only for animals, but also for humans, and I implore upon you to examine your role in the suffering of animals and your unscrupulous conduct as host to such a cruel business. Regrettably, as long as Coach unnecessarily and selfishly capitalizes on the mutilation, torture, and death of animals, I will not financially support you or your associated products. Furthermore, I will share this information with family, friends, colleagues, and members of online communities.

Please make both the ethical and responsible decision to discontinue your commercial support of fur immediately: join an increasing body of corporations who are listening to a concerned and attentive consumer population who refuse to be complicit in the inherently malicious industry of fur farming. I hope this letter finds you willing to scrutinize your own involvement and desire to protect, rather than harm, animals.

Sincerely,

NAME, ADDRESS

SAMPLE LETTER FOUR courtesy of Born Free (includes country-specific language, but that can be modified)

Dear Minister,

I am writing to let you know that I strongly support the bill to ban the fur trade in Israel. This ban would set an important, compassionate example for other countries to follow.

As you know, each year, more than 70 million animals are killed for fashion. Whether used as a full-length coat or simple trim, fur represents senseless pain and suffering.

Wild-caught fur, obtained by setting traps or snares to capture fur-bearing animals, can result in the animal remaining in the trap or snare for several days before starving or slowly strangling to death. If the animal is still alive when the trapper comes to check the trap or snare, she will be beaten over the head or shot. Non-target animals who are accidentally caught and killed in these traps, such as deer, cats, dogs, and squirrels, are called “trash” and discarded.

Israel has a remarkable opportunity to be a world-leader by banning fur nationwide. The government should stand strong and do what’s right, unmoved by the self-interested pleadings of well-paid lobbyists. There is a global groundswell of support for the Israeli legislation in countries that are Israel’s friends and allies. These legions of compassionate citizens will hold Israel up as a beacon of hope for the entire world to see.

Once again, please support the ban on the fur trade to alleviate animal suffering and so that other countries, including the United States, may follow your compassionate lead.

Sincerely,

(Your Name Here)



SAMPLE LETTER TO EDITOR courtesy Born Free (Can be modified for other fur correspondence issues.)

Dear Editor:

In many states, official fur trapping season begins in November, and every minute of every daybetween now and the end of trapping season, untold numbers of bobcats, coyotes, foxes, badgers,mink, raccoon, and other furbearing animals will fall victim to leghold traps, snares, and body-crushing Conibear kill traps.

In their frantic efforts to escape, trapped animals experience brokenteeth, dislocated joints, and torn ligaments. Some free themselves by chewing off their own paws, only to die later from their injuries.

By the end of trapping season, more than three million furbearing animals will have been brutally trapped and bludgeoned to death in the U.S. alone. Most of their pelts will then be sold into the fur trade. Millions more animals will die as “non-targets” including eagles and hawks and family companion animals.

This terrible slaughter is for the sake of the fur industry, which wants to promote the idea that fur is “fun” and “chic”. The truth is that fur is cruel and unnecessary, and causes horrible deaths for millions of furbearing animals. I hope that shoppers show compassion this season and skip the real fur garments and accessories. Styles come and go, but kindness is always in fashion.

Sincerely,

(Your Name Here)

Furkills.org Sample Fur Letters (if you do not download, use the text tool – looks like a capital I – to copy text)

Sample Anti-Fur Letters Courtesy of IDA – please NOTE THE DATE MAY BE INACCURATE – if you use, please modify to appropriate date.  Thank you.

 

Please click on the following picture to visit Kinship Circle’s Fur Campaign to send an automatic message to fur retailers.

Sample Anti-Fur Letter Courtesy of WSPA