Many people remember the anti clubbing campaigns of the 70s and 80s, but now over twenty years on 300,000 harp seal are still being slaughtered every year.
more info...

 


Karakul are a breed of sheep whose lambs have a very much sought-after pelt by the fashion industry. Often unborn lambs are taken as their pelt is worth more.
more info...

 


A wild mink inhabits about two and a half miles of river bank. A factory farm cage is the size of a tea tray.
more info...

 


"The welfare of farmed mink and foxes in relation to housing and management" as commissioned by Respect for Animals. more info...

 


The leghold trap 'causes an incalculable amount of suffering', and that's just the official version.
more info...

 


Jackie Kennedy wore a leopard skin coat in 1962. In 1964 50,000 leopards died to meet the demand for similar garments.
more info...

 

 

Several surveys have been carried out in the UK on the subject of fur wearing. The results consistently show large majorities of people opposed to the trapping and breeding methods by which fur is obtained and that fur is only worn by a very small number of, mainly older, women.

The results are presented here by year: 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1992, 1995 and 1996. At the bottom of the page we've gathered similar polls from the USA and Canada.

 

 

Abacus Research were commissioned to carry out a survey into fur wearing for the RSPCA. 1,000 women throughout the UK were interviewed and here are some of the more salient results:

29% of women had ever owned a fur coat. It was more common in older women (37% of those over 55 compared to 16% aged 16-24) and in the ABC1 social groups (33%). One third of these "owners" claimed "never" to wear their fur coats, however.

Furthermore 86% of the fur owners said that they had obtained their coats 3 or more years ago.


Agreement/disagreement with statements:

 

Agree

Disagree

No opinion

There should be a complete ban on the trapping of animals for their fur

83%

10%

7%

It is wrong to kill animals for their fur to make clothing

81%

10%

9%

I don't object to animals being reared
on farms for their fur

19%

74%

7%


 

 

Research Surveys of Great Britain carried out a survey for TBWA - Lynx's advertising agency - looking at the public's attitude to fur:


Q> Ownership of a real fur coat or jacket:
Sample: 1068 women aged 16 or above.

 

TOTAL

16-34

35-44

45-54

55+

Sample size

1068

429

211

137

291

Yes

22%

19%

22%

31%

22%

No

76%

80%

77%

68%

75%

Don"t know

2%

1%

1%

1%

3%

Of those that do not own a fur coat only 8% said that they would like to.


Q> Whether you would ever buy a fur coat for wife/girlfriend:
sample: 949 men aged 16 or above.

 

TOTAL

16-34

35-44

45-54

55+

Sample size

949

328

146

109

366

Yes

32%

29%

28%

35%

35%

No

61%

65%

62%

55%

58%

Don"t know

7%

6%

10%

9%

6%



Q> It is wrong to kill animals for their fur to make clothing:

 

TOTAL< /b>

Male

Female

16-34

35-44

45-54

55+

Sample size

2017

949

1068

757

357

246

657

Strongly agree

49%

46%

52%

52%

48%

53%

46%

Agree slightly

22%

21%

23%

21%

27%

18%

21%

Neither agree/ disagree

10%

11%

9%

10%

9%

11%

10%

Disagree slightly

12%

15%

10%

12%

9%

12%

14%

Disagree strongly

4%

6%

3%

4%

5%

5%

5%

Don't know

2%

2%

3%

2%

2%

2%

4%



Q> There should be a ban on the import of all fur products made from trapped animals:

 

TOTAL

Male

Female

16-34

35-44

45-54

55+

Sample size

2017

949

1068

757

357

246

657

Strongly agree

50%

48%

51%

51%

51%

56%

45%

Agree slightly

22%

20%

23%

23%

23%

18%

22%

Neither agree/
disagree

10%

10%

9%

10%

8%

9%

10%

Disagree slightly

12%

15%

9%

10%

11%

11%

14%

Disagree strongly

4%

5%

3%

4%

3%

3%

5%

Don't know

3%

2%

4%

2%

4%

3%

5%



Q> There should be a complete ban on trapping animals for their fur:

 

TOTAL

Male

Female

16-34

35-44

45-54

55+

Sample size

2017

949

1068

757

357

246

657

Strongly agree

53%

50%

57%

55%

53%

57%

5 0%

Agree slightly

21%

22%

21%

22%

22%

18%

21%

Neither agree/
disagree

8%

8%

8%

8%

6%

10%

8%

Disagree slightly

10%

13%

8%

9%

12%

9%

12%

Disagree strongly

4%

4%

3%

4%

3%

3%

4%

Don"t know

3%

2%

4%

2%

3%

3%

4%



Q> There should be a complete ban on rearing and farming animals for their fur:

 

TOTAL

Male

Female

16-34

35-44

45-54

55+

Sample size

2017

949

1068

757

357

246

657

Strongly agree

50%

46%

54%

52%

48%

56%

47%

Agree slightly

20%

19%

20%

19%

21%

16%

22%

Neither agree/
disagree

9%

9%

8%

9%

8%

11%

8%

Disagree slightly

13%

16%

11%

13%

15%

10%

15%

Disagree strongly

5%

7%

4%

5%

5%

5%

6%

Don"t know

3%

3%

3%

2%

3%

2%

3%


 

 

The government was considering introducing an order that would hav e required fur coats made from animals caught in leghold traps to carry a label to say that that was how they had been obtained. The measure was the initiative of Trade Minister Alan Clark following discussions with Lynx (Respect for Animals' predecessor) and is referred to in his published diaries. An opinion poll conducted by MORI at the time revealed that 68% of the population were supportive of the measure. In the event the Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, forced Alan Clark to abandon the labelling order.

 

 

4,000 women, mainly between the ages of 16-29, took part in a wide-ranging survey organised by more! magazine into attitudes to fashion and to clothes shopping. When asked what their opinion was on a number of subjects, 85% agreed with the following statement: "It"s wrong to kill animals just so we can wear fur coats." In fact only 4% disagreed with the statement, with 11% expressing no opinion.

 

 

RSGB carried out a survey for Lynx into "Attitudes to fur". By this stage the campaign against the wearing of fur was beginning to have a significant impact. 78% of those polled agreed that fur coats were out of fashion.

Level of agreement with various statements about the killing and trapping of animals for fur:

Q> There should be a ban on trapping of animals for fur:

 

TOTAL

Male

Female

16-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55+

Sample size

2004

946

1058

293

428

377

310

596

Strongly agree

73%

66%

79%

81%

76%

75%

69%

66%

Agree slightly

14%

15%

12%

10%

13%

14%

16%

15%

Neither agree/
disagree

5%

7%

3%

2%

5%

5%

4%

7%

Disagree slightly

5%

7%

4%

2%

3%

4%

9%

8%

Disagree strongly

2%

4%

1%

3%

2%

2%

2%

3%

Don"t know

1%

2%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

So 87% of the population agreed that there should be a ban on the trapping of animals for their fur and this figure went up to 91% for both women and young people (16 to 24 year olds).


Q> There should be a ban on the rearing and farming of animals for their fur:

 

TOTAL

Male

Female

16-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55+

Sample size

2004

946

1058

293

428

377

310

596

Strongly agree

63%

54%

69%

70%

65%

61%

58%

58%

Agree slightly

16%

16%

16%

13%

14%

1 9%

14%

18%

Neither agree/
disagree

6%

8%

5%

4%

9%

5%

5%

7%

Disagree slightly

9%

12%

6%

8%

5%

9%

16%

9%

Disagree strongly

5%

8%

3%

4%

4%

5%

7%

6%

Don't know

1%

2%

1%

0%

1%

1%

1%

2%

79% of people (85% of women, 84% of 16-24 year olds) thought that fur breeding should be banned


Q> The fur trade should be banned worldwide like the trade in elephant ivory and baby seal skins.

 

TOTAL

Male

Female

16-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55+

Sample size

2004

946

1058

293

428

377

310

596

Strongly agree

65%

57%

7 2%

75%

69%

65%

57%

59%

Agree slightly

14%

14%

13%

13%

11%

15%

14%

15%

Neither agree/
disagree

6%

9%

4%

4%

8%

5%

7%

8%

Disagree slightly

10%

13%

7%

6%

8%

9%

14%

12%

Disagree strongly

4%

6%

3%

2%

4%

4%

7%

4%

Don"t know

1%

2%

1%

1%

1%

2%

2%

2%


Incredibly, 79% of the population thought that the fur trade should actually be banned.
 

 

Gallup conducted a very wide-ranging survey for the Daily Telegraph into the public"s attitudes towards animals. People were asked to say if a range of things that happen to animals were all right or not. One of the items on the list was "Trapping animals for their fur".

Only 7% thought that it was all right whilst 76% thought that it was not. Of those that thought it was not all right, 84% thought that fur trapping should be banned.  
 

&n bsp;

MORI conducted a poll for Respect for Animals on fur coat ownership as well as the attitudes towards the methods by which fur is obtained:


Q> Do you ever wear a real fur coat or not:

 

TOTAL

Male

Female

15-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65+

Sample size

2071

1003

1068

396

427

382

302

227

337

Yes

4%

1%

6%

1%

2%

4%

5%

2%

9%

No

95%

97%

93%

99%

97%

96%

94%

97%

89%

Don"t know

1%

2%

*

1%

*

*

1%

1%

2%



Q> There should be a ban on the trapping of animals for their fur:

302

 

TOTAL

Male

Female

15-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65+

Sample size

2071

1003

1068

396

427

382

227

337

Strongly agree

67%

60%

73%

71%

70%

67%

66%

69%

58%

Tend to agree

19%

23%

15%

21%

19%

23%

14%

14%

20%

Neither agree/
disagree

7%

8%

6%

4%

7%

7%

8%

10%

8%

Tend to disagree

5%

6%

4%

3%

2%

2%

7%

4%

10%

Disagree strongly

1%

2%

1%

1%

2%

1%

2%

2%

1%

Don"t know

1%

1%

1%

1%

*

*

2%

1%

2%

85% of the population agree that their should be a ban on the trapping of animals for their fur.


Q> There should be a ban on the farming of animals for their fur:

 

TOTAL

Male

Female

15-24

25-34

35-44

45-54

55-64

65+

Sample size

2071

1003

1068

396

427

382

302

227

337

Strongly agree

55%

46%

62%

56%

57%

57%

54%

< /td>

57%

48%

Tend to agree

21%

22%

21%

23%

21%

23%

17%

21%

24%

Neither agree/
disagree

10%

12%

7%

10%

9%

11%

10%

11%

9%

Tend to disagree

10%

14%

7%

8%

10%

7%

14%

8%

14%

Disagree strongly

2%

4%

1%

2%

3%

2%

3%

2%

3%

Don"t know

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

1%

3%


It is interesting to note that RSGB carried out two surveys, one in 1987, the second in 1992 using the same methods and asking the same questions. Over this period the anti-fur campaign in Britain had reached its peak and its effect is reflected in the significant changes in the two poll results. For instance, the percentage of people who thought that trapping should be banned went up from 74% to 87% from the first poll to the second. Similarly, those who were in favour of fur breeding being outlawed rose from 70% to 79%. It seems incredible that, in view of the consistently high levels of public support for action to be taken against the fur trade, that nothing has happened to even curb its excesses - let alone ban it.  
 
These demonstrations of abhorrence of the way fur is obtained from animals is not confined to the UK:

 

 

As long ago as 1980, a paper was presented to the "World-wide Furbearer Conference" by Stephen Kellert (Trappers and Trapping in American Society, Conference Proceedings, 1980) that examined the American public's attitude towards the use of the steel-jawed leghold trap.

The results (see below) distinguished those who claimed to be informed and those who were not as to the use of the leghold trap. People were asked to indicate their level of agreement with the following statement:

"I see nothing wrong with using steel traps to capture wild animals.

A highly significant 79% of the "informed" public disagreed with the statement, that is, they were against the use of the trap. This figure fell by only 5% to 74% of the "uninformed" members of the public.

Not surprisingly, 96% of trappers agreed with the proposition.

In the same survey, Kellert also found that 57% of those asked disagreed with the following statement:: "I think it"s all right to kill animals to make a fur coat as long as the species is not endangered."

1990: Parents Magazine commissioned a national opinion poll asking if animals have rights. 63% of those asked said that "killing animals to make fur coats should be prohibited by law." A further 22% also disapproved of the practice but did not go as far as saying it should be banned by law. Thus 85% expressed their disapproval of the killing of animals for their fur.

1996: A survey was conducted for the Animal Welfare Institute by the Opinion Research Corporation into attitudes towards wildlife traps. 76% of those asked said they agreed with the following statement: "I believe that use of steel jaw leg hold traps to catch wildlife is not humane." Only 22% disagreed with it. 74% agreed with the statement: "I believe that the use of steel jaw leghold traps to catch wildlife should be prohibited." 23% disagreed.

 

 

1995: A poll was conducted during June 1995 by the independent opinion poll survey group "Canadian Facts" for the Canadian Alliance for Furbearing Animals (CAFA). The results were as follows:

Q1> Are you aware that the leghold trap is used to trap animals in Canada?

Yes 51%   No 46%   Other 3%

Participants were then provided with the following description:

The Leghold trap is the most widely used trap in Canada. Set on land, near water or under water, it can crush an animal's leg or paw, restraining the animal in pain for hours, days or even longer unti l the elements, a predator or a trapper kills the animal.

Q2> Based on this description and anything else you may have heard about leghold traps, do you approve or disapprove of this method of trapping?

Approve 11%   Disapprove 80%   Don"t know 9%

Q3> And again, based on this description or anything else you may have heard about leghold traps, do you support or oppose banning the use of leghold traps in Canada?

Support 70%   Oppose 17%   Don"t know 13%

1996: The Angus Reid Group undertook a poll for the Vancouver based animal welfare group, The Fur-Bearers. The results of the poll showed that 80% of Canadians want the Leg-Hold trap banned.