One Planet One Chance: What can I do?

Helping animals isn’t difficult. You can change their lives for the better.

SAY NO TO FUR

WE DIED IN THE NAME OF "ART"
PLEASE GIVE US A VOICE

Despite people's beliefs about animals (Activist or not; it does not matter), the modern fur industry is sadistic and cruel. Anyone supporting such a disgusting industry, is as guilty as those people who create so much suffering in the world.

Wear the fur and share the blame

Retailers must be aware that no fur garments are made compassionately.
Compassionate consumers like you can help by refusing to shop at stores that sell fur and by encouraging retailers to commit, in writing, to a no-fur policy and thus be recognized by the international fur free retailer program.

CHOOSE COMPASSION AS YOUR FASHION

· Refuse to buy items containing fur or fur trim.
Write letters to stores, manufacturers, and advertisers explaining the suffering that goes
into each fur coat.

· Write letters to fashion editors asking them not
to promote fur in their articles and advertising.

· Thank and support stores that do not sell fur or fur-trimmed garments.
· Support anti-trapping legislation and anti-cruelty laws.

· Educate your community by tabling,distributing literature, or arranging an anti-fur demonstration
· Teach others to respect all living things.

COMPANIES THAT SELL LEATHER AND FUR FREE PRODUCTS.
http://www.peta.org/Living/alt2.asp
http://www.hsus.org/furfree/fashion/retailers/furfree_retailers_designers.html

REAL vs FAKE FUR:

How to Tell the Difference!

1. Check the base of the fur for skin or fabric.
The surest way to determine whether a fur is real or faux is to examine underneath the lining, checking the back of the fur itself.
ANIMAL FUR: The surest sign of animal fur is leather/skin (usually white or tan, but
possibly the color of the fur if it has been dyed).
Genuine animal pelts will resemble smooth suede leather and are often sewn together in strips, sections or pieces like a patchwork quilt.
Note - Genuine fur coats will often TWO LININGS, an outer shell of satin-type material and an inner lining of flannel or wool for warmth. So take care to inspect past all linings to be sure you're examining the fur's backing.

FAKE FUR: The surest sign of fake fur is seeing the threadwork backing from which the
“hairs” emerge.FAUX or artificial fur can also be readily identified with a visual inspection. They'll find a uniformed, ribbed fabric or will see little rows like a knitted sweater. And faux fur coats normally don't have a second, inner lining.

2. Check the tips of the hairs for tapering. Both animal fur and fake fur come in many different colors and lengths.
However, if animal fur has not been sheared or cut to a uniform length or had the guard hairs plucked out, you may be able to examine the tips of the longest hairs and see that they taper into a fine point—like a cat's whisker or sewing needle.
Good lighting and a magnifying glass are helpful, as is holding the hairs up against a white surface.
ANIMAL FUR: Animal hairs—especially the thicker guard hairs —can often be
seen tapering to a point. NOTE: This test can give a false negative for animal fur if the hairs
have been sheared or plucked.
FAKE FUR: This image shows the straight across cut of a fake fur “hair.” NOTE: Tapering
has not been seen on any fake fur samples to date, but such a process may exist, or come into
existence.

3. Burn Test -
Clip off fur from a non-visible area or pluck out the hairs from the coat until you have a generous clump of fibers. Hold a match to the fibers to examine how they burn and smell. It’s preferable you do this in a closed area so you can determine the odor.
Fake fur:- Synthetic fibers will alight easily and burn down very rapidly. When burned, faux fur will usually melt into a clump or ball and if there’s any odor at all, smells artificial like plastics. Animal fur:- However, genuine fur gives off that distinctive burnt hair odor. Real fur is also more difficult to light, crinkles up very fast just like human hair does and burns into a fine ash. If unsure of the results, try burning a sample of your pet’s hair for comparison.

Most fake furs don’t have the same amount of body or firmness of genuine fur, so you may be able to spot telltale ripples or creases. Look closely for folds and wrinkles, especially along the sleeves. The faux one is a very good quality fake; it even has fur hooks & closures. The texture is very similar to the real fur and there’s no obvious giveaways. However, look at the sleeve and body panels on the first jacket. See how there are folds and gathers, how it seems to hang more loosely? The real fur has more fullness and doesn’t drape like the first jacket. Based on pictures alone, that floppiness or draping might be the only clue one would have that the first coat is a faux fur.
· Faux fur Feels coarser than fur from animals;
· Contains hairs that are all the same length and color (real fur usually contains layers of hair of different lengths and textures);
· And is mounted on a base that can easily be perforated by a pin, whereas genuine fur remains attached to the animal’s skin.