A weekly round-up of the most important animal stories happening around the world.
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Marc Jacobs bans reptile and ostrich skins
The luxury fashion company has joined the growing number of brands shunning exotic skins for ethical reasons, following undercover investigations that uncovered widespread animal welfare violations.
Retailers Still Selling New Fur Products In California Despite Ban, Undercover Investigation Reveals
The state’s historic ban on fur products came into effect last year, but undercover video has exposed some retailers knowingly flouting the rules.
Could the Fur Industry Cause the Next Global Pandemic?
A new study has revealed fur farms in China are holding thousands of animals in close proximity despite the risk of zoonotic disease spread.
Cruelty, Disease, and Outdated Science: Why Plans for the Biggest Monkey-Breeding Facility in the US Must Be Halted
The company behind the project, is planning a “mini-city” that would host over 30,000 long-tailed macaques in a large-scale complex for experimentation purposes.
Wolf Fur Farms Uncovered in Canada
Government documents released by a wildlife protection charity reveal for the first time that iconic species including wolves, bobcats, and lynx are being kept on fur farms in Canada.
'Appalling Abuse': Largest Ever Undercover Investigation Exposes Cruelty in the Fur Industry
Investigators have released photographs and video footage revealing the distressing conditions across over 100 fur farms throughout Europe, showcasing the plight of minks, foxes, and raccoon dogs raised for fur.
The True “Material Monster” In Our Wardrobes: Animal Leather
The recent criticism of faux leather-centric collections such as Kylie Jenner's latest KHY range, forgot the elephant – or perhaps the cow – in the room: animal leather.
Stella McCartney Turns Champagne Waste Into Luxury Grape Leather
The designer and sustainability campaigner has partnered with champagne brand Veuve Clicquot to use grape waste from its vineyards to create a grape-based alternative to leather.
What You Need to Know About the Down Industry
Down is made from the fine feathers growing next to the chests of geese and ducks and typically used in coats, puffers, and bedding. Can this material ever be ethical?
Pharrell Williams Under Fire for $1 million Louis Vuitton Crocodile Skin Handbag
“An exotic brand gimmick and an insensitive declaration of global north privilege.”
Billie Eilish Debuts Gucci’s Luxury New Animal-Free Leather Bag
The reimagined Horsebit 1955 is made using a “ground-breaking” leather-like material, which is made primarily from renewable sources and has a lower impact than using animal skins.
400 International Fashion Brands Publicly Oppose Mulesing
The controversial practice of mulesing involves slicing off strips of flesh from lambs’ rear ends, often without pain relief.
I Crashed Milan Fashion Week To Speak Out For Animals – Here’s Why
The aim was to get in front of the heaps of photographers gathered at the front of the catwalk - so that the message would be brought to press all over the world.
Latvia Bans Fur Farming
The move towards a fur-free Europe is edging closer, as campaigners say there is an “unrelenting tide” against the breeding and sale of fur on the continent.
Up to 8,000 Minks Liberated from Fur Farm in Pennsylvania
An unidentified individual cut holes in a Pennsylvania farm's fence on Sunday, releasing 6,000 to 8,000 minks that were set to be gassed for their pelts.
Apple Ditches Animal Leather to Meet Sustainability Targets
The global tech giant is phasing out animal-based leather in all new Apple products, including watchbands, as part of its commitment to carbon neutrality by 2030.
Huge Animal-Free Leather Production Plant Set To Open In South Carolina
The facility will use fungus to produce an innovative and sustainable leather alternative that’s free-from animals and plastic.
Scientists Advocate Worldwide Closure of Mink Farms to Avert Pandemic Threat
Virologists in the Department of Infectious Disease at Imperial College London, warn that mink farming poses a risk for the emergence of future disease outbreaks and should be considered in the same risk level category as the bushmeat trade and live animal markets.
Gucci, Chanel, and More Linked To Cashmere Farms That Abuse Goats
Several major brands have been implicated in a new undercover investigation which found goats screaming in pain as their hair is ripped out by workers to source cashmere fur.
Fur is Dead. So Why Hasn't Max Mara Banned It Yet?
Today, you'd be hard-pressed to find fur anywhere on international runways. But yet today there are a few holdouts, such as Max Mara, Fendi and Louis Vuitton, who cling to the pelts – and as long as they do, is fur truly dead?