Cruelty should never be in fashion!
Letter to the Editor, The Avondhu, 9th August 2018
As TDs consider over the summer recess whether or not to back the Solidarity Bill to ban fur farming, due to be presented to the Dail in late September, I think we need to question the necessity of wearing any kind of fur garments or accessories nowadays, given the proven high levels of distress and suffering to which the animals are subjected and the widespread availability of cruelty-free fabrics and fake furs.
The days when sporting a mink coat or an exotic fox fur was deemed the height of fashion consciousness, or a symbol of status and wealth; are long gone. Such garb now projects a deeply uncomfortable image, repelling than inducing admiration or a positive reaction.
Aside from the horrors inflicted on mink in the cramped cages, right up to the moment they are gassed at the age of six months with carbon monoxide and skinned, there is the environmental impact of fur farming. Huge quantities of feces are generated on mink farms, and this contains tons of phosphorus that all too often ends up polluting rivers and streams in surrounding districts.
Add to this the practice of treating skins with toxic chemicals (to prevent rotting) and it should come as no surprise that the World Bank deems fur production to rank among the world’s five worst industries for toxic-metal pollution.
So, when TDs come to reflect on the implications of the Dail vote in September I hope they’ll spare a thought both for the innocent captives-200,000 of them are bred annually on Irish fur farms- and the negative effects of this hellish industry on our eco-system.
Vote-conscious politicians need to be made aware that fur looks best on the rightful bearer and that cruelty to animals, under whatever guise or brand name, is quickly going out of fashion.
John Fitzgerald
---------------------------------------------
ACTION ALERT
With Sinn Fein and the Labour Party committed to banning fur farming, the Fianna Fail Party now holds to key to the success of the Bill in September. If FF backs the Bill it will pass. The party is currently considering which way to vote so it's vital to keep the pressure on it in the weeks leading up to the vote: If you live in a constituency that has a FF TD, you can email or phone him/her on the issue. Contact details for TDs can be found at https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/members/tds/?term=/ie/oireachtas/house/dail/32 Alternatively, here is a block email list of all FF TDs. You can send your letter/message to all of them with one email.
shane.cassells@oireachtas.ie, eugene.murphy@oireachtas.ie, escanlonmcc@eircom.net, john.lahart@oireachtas.ie, jackie.cahill@oireachtas.ie, mary.butler@oireachtas.ie, james.browne@oireachtas.ie, pat.casey@oireachtas.ie, john.curran@oireachtas.ie, bobby.aylward@oireachtas.ie, patthecope.gallagher@oireachtas.ie, timmy.dooley@oireachtas.ie, willie.odea@oireachtas.ie, darragh.obrien@oireachtas.ie, marc.macsharry@oireachtas.ie, stephen.donnelly@oireachtas.ie, thomas.byrne@oireachtas.ie, niamh.smyth@oireachtas.ie, kevin.okeeffe@oireachtas.ie, margaret.murphyomahony@oireachtas.ie, sean.haughey@oireachtas.ie, jim.ocallaghan@oireachtas.ie, anne.rabbitte@oireachtas.ie, jack.chambers@outlook.com, jack.chambers@oireachtas.ie, john.brassil@oireachtas.ie, frank.orourke@oireachtas.ie, james.lawless@oireachtas.ie, declan.breathnach@oireachtas.ie, lisa.chambers@oireachtas.ie, aindrias.moynihan@oireachtas.ie, fiona.oloughlin@oireachtas.ie, dara.calleary@oireachtas.ie, barry.cowen@oireachtas.ie, billy.kelleher@oireachtas.ie, brendan.smith@oireachtas.ie, charlie.mcconalogue@oireachtas.ie, eamon.ocuiv@oireachtas.ie, john.mcguinness@oireachtas.ie, michael.mcgrath@oireachtas.ie, michael.moynihan@oireachtas.ie, micheal.martin@oireachtas.ie, niall.collins@oireachtas.ie, robert.troy@oireachtas.ie, sean.fleming@oireachtas.ie, sean.ofearghail@oireachtas.ie
Find out more about Solidarity's Bill at
https://www.facebook.com/banbloodsports/videos/1750869355028615/
Urge Minister Michael Creed and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to put in place a long overdue ban on fur farming.
Email "Ban fur farming NOW" to Leo.Varadkar@oir.ie, michael.creed@oir.ie, taoiseach@taoiseach.gov.ie, AnimalHealthAndWelfareAct@agriculture.gov.ie
Tel: +353 (0)1 6194000 (Leo Varadkar)
Tel: 01-607 2000 or LoCall 1890-200510 (Michael Creed)
Tweet: @campaignforleo @creedcnw Ban fur farming NOW
Comment on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/campaignforleo/
https://www.facebook.com/michaelcreedtd
VIDEOS
ICABS footage - Victims of Ireland's cruel far farming
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=artr7qwCLLk&index=2&list=PL43C1F00F38986C68
NARA footage showing caged mink in a fur farm in Donegal
https://www.facebook.com/NARAcampaignsIRELAND/videos/1694193503937318/
Mink pulled from cages and thrown into gassing box
https://youtu.be/m52k4aPXahU?t=3m6s