As a passionate group of students fighting for the ethical treatment of animals, we urge you to initiate a ban for the sale of fur in Rhode Island. Animals are abused, slaughtered, and skinned for a cruel commercial enterprise. Rhode Island must follow in the footsteps of Los Angeles, a progressive city that successfully banned fur. Times are changing, and animal cruelty must no longer be tolerated, especially not by such a compassionate state as Rhode Island.

If you are not yet convinced that the sale of fur is an ethical issue that Rhode Island must address, please review the following statistics:

* Eighty-five percent of the fur industry’s skins come from animals who were held captive on fur factory farms, where they were crammed into severely crowded, filthy wire cages. Many were later beaten or electrocuted—and sometimes even skinned alive.

* One billion rabbits are killed each year so that their fur can be used in clothing or for lures in fly fishing or trim on craft items.

* Fur farms harm the environment. Millions of pounds of feces are produced annually by U.S. mink farms alone. One dangerous component of this waste is nearly 1,000 tons of phosphorus, which pollutes nearby rivers and streams.

Fur benefits no one. Faux fur is just as warm, soft, and attractive. People do not want to harm animals, and Rhode Island should be the first state to ban the sale of fur. We have attached a list of signatures to petition fur. These signatures represent thousands of other people in Rhode Island, who feel that fur should not be acceptable anymore. Please consider our request and the desires of those that have signed this petition with the genuine hope to end animals’ suffering and eliminate fur.

Sincerely,

Students for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, Johnson & Wales University