Donegal; Fur Farm Capital of Ireland!!

by Barry - none Wed Mar 26, 2008 10:27

Where does this fur end up ? I thought that the fur trade had deminished due to the currant climet of political correctnesss. Its hard to believe that people still ware fur. I have not seen many people in Ireland waring fur, is it it all sent abroad, and if it is who are the people and what country are they from ? Its barbaric, good luck with campaign.

by Stuart Wed Mar 26, 2008 16:18

Where does this fur end up? Most of the high-value animal furs are exported - the new wealth of the former Soviet Union, China and India has increased demand. The old trade never entirely ended and you could still buy fur in most European capitals, it just wouldn't be on prominent display.

Dog and cat fur is used for (what an irony) animal toys, widely on sale across Ireland. The favourite is the ultra-realistic sleeping kitten, that used to be a kitten.

by KMurphy Wed Dec 10, 2008 22:20

It's so barbaric to treat animals this way. Wearing or using fur from slaughtered animal is beyond gross. It saddens me to know that my homeland is participating in this activity for profit. Boycott the fur and people who wear it. If you have a penchant for fur, there are many very nice faux fur sources out there.

by Pgibson Thu Dec 11, 2008 09:49

If it is done humanely I don't see a problem.

We take wool and leather and beef and lamb and mutton and pork from animals we have killed.

What's the difference between a leather coat ,or a sheepskin coat say, and a fur coat?

Cruelty is another issue altogether.

by S B Sun Mar 22, 2009 14:56

how can we possibly let this disgusting practise continue in ireland??
.. am i hearing right? foxes are being ELECTROCUTED and mink are being GASSED to death...
how could u do this to an innocent creature just so kate moss can have a new scarf?
i am appalled....

by Vegan. Sun Mar 22, 2009 15:38

If you are wearing leather shoes or eat meat please hold your criticism.

YOU have slaughtered an animal.......by proxy.

by Animal Magic Mon Mar 23, 2009 00:30

It is simply ridiculous to compare fur farming to the typical way sheep and cattle are raised(in ireland at least). The vast majority of sheep and cattle get to roam pastures and indulge the majority of their natural instincts before they become part of the human food chain(Indeed in the wild their ancestors where the main prey for the likes of wolves, leopards etc.) This is certainly not the case with mink and fox's on fur farms, who are subjected to similar conditions that lab animals experience. eg severe sensory deprivation etc. Indeed its probably worse given the appalling hygiene that is often a feature of these establishments.

by Furgeddaboutit Mon Mar 23, 2009 08:22

That is a common line trotted out to try and obfuscate the morality of the situation.
Personally I think it's poisonous and designed to encourage infighting and disunity.
People should not fall for this.

Of course perfection is worth striving for and it would be a noble thing to be able to say that you personally provided no market for any of the products derived from the cruel practices of mankind and his industries which systematically exploit voiceless animals for financial gain.

However in practice, animal products / byproducts are everywhere. They are in everything from mars bars and biscuits to cosmetics (testing), clothing and wine. Until you actually try to become a vegan, you will never realise quite how insidious the whole system is in this respect.

For this reason, I think it is better to try than not to try. To make some changes instead of giving up in despair and not changing anything at all.

Any change is better than no change so do what you can. Not everyone has the strength of character to become vegan, even if ultimately that is the best moral position you can take.

I for one greatly encourage people to make at least some changes away from the exploitation of animals in their lives. If that means merely eating less meat or at least not supporting factory farmed produce, or no longer using animal tested cosmetics, well at least it is something.

And doing something right is better than doing nothing. So If you have taken some small but concrete action in your life to reduce your dependence on animal products (suffering) then most right thinking people concerned about animal welfare would welcome that and encourage you to get further involved and express yourself in this forum and any other. You gotta start somewhere and moves in the right direction need to be encouraged.

Preaching to the converted is pointless. Movements are slow to gather momentum. Rome wasn't built in a day.

by Pat Mon Mar 23, 2009 10:58

Jesus. I had no idea that this was happening on my own doorstep.
Any idea where abouts these farms are or who the farmers are?
We should think about naming and shaming these people.

by Catlady Tue Mar 24, 2009 00:22

A list is provided by Foxwatch Ireland at the following link

http://homepage.eircom.net/~foxwatchireland/fur-cond.htm

Fox farms do not need to be licenced so nobody really knows how many there are in the country.... and it also means there is zero regulation. Its a disgrace.

Fur is very much on sale in Ireland. It is used in high street clothing as well as in toys etc., in addition to the numerous fur shops which are sadly still in operation. On a brighter note Pamela Scott recently went fur free, so campaigners are having success all the time as more and more shops bow to public opinion and stop selling the stuff.

To answer the fur/leather question, I really don't see any difference between the two, ethically speaking. Personally I wear neither as they are both the skin of somebody else.... Thankfully I was born with my own and there are so many high quality alternatives available these days. I bet most women have numerous pairs of shoes in their collection that they don't even realise are not made of leather! As a shoe lover, I am grateful to have more choice now than I did when I was a kid.

As far as campaigning goes, it is certainly easier to persuade people to boycott fur than it is leather. people have the misconception that their shoes/belts/coats are by-products of a meat industry which sees cows happilt skipping up and down fields before (presumably) happily trotting off to slaughter....

The reality is quite different with much leather coming from India where (despite the supposedly sacred status of the cow) they are horribly tortured, their tails broken and chili rubbed in their eyes when they collapse from exhaustion on =gruelling treks to slaughter.... Not much is made in ireland any more folks, and even when it is, the chances of the raw materials not coming from the cheapest source possible (ie: Indian cows/Chinese cats and dogs) are slim to none.

Having said that of course I think any step in th right direction is better than nothing. The point should be to educate as many people as possible about the origins of the products they consume.

To use an analogy, a campaign against employing children in sweat shops does not mean the campaigners do not care about/campaign about child pornography. When campaigning for rights one rarely focuses on one issue alone, although the campaigns themselves are run as seperate issues. They are simply more effective that way.

And I agree that there is not much point in preaching to the choir.

by Mr Man Tue Mar 24, 2009 17:22

Why doesn't the ISPCA step in and shut down these places on animal welfare grounds?

by Fur Farmers in USA - Fur Commission USA Wed Jun 17, 2009 00:03

For info on natural fiber fur for use in cold weather clothing, a good site to visit is at http://www.furcommission.com/environ/index.html

by Ed Sat Oct 24, 2009 00:25

The fur industry has been spinning that line for some time about it being natural. The term "natural" is undefined and includes everything from nuclear disaster to pollution (After all what does not come from nature? Even humans come from nature and hence anything human made.) This means that advertising standards can't apply.

The fur industry is an environmental hazard.

Take a look at this link to see if your definition of natural is the same as the fur industry's.
http://aliberation.vegaplanet.org/fur.not.green.php

by adlinn Thu Mar 18, 2010 10:33

I would like to know more about dogs and cat being killed to make toys, I have heard similar stories in France and they were killed for clothes... Is there actually a website or something where I could find the list of the shops and brands implicated in this (I suppose) illegal industry????
Another thing ,I think when people says that fur farming is atrocious while slaughtering animals for their meat is ok are a bit hypocrite,now am not here to lecture anybody but what do you think happens in the slaughterhouse ...that they give animals anaesthetic,singing them lullaly before to kill them I think you should update
Now I am not an utopist I don't expext people to all go vegetarian but at least to bring their meat consumption to a reasonable level because it is very new in human history to eat so much meat before you didn't have supermarket where you could find every kind of meat anytime.
Please give me the informations about toys made out of fur! Thanks very much