San Francisco has become the first major US city to implement a full ban on the sale of fur.
Effective from January 2019, the ban will apply to the sale, display and manufacturing of new fur apparel, including online purchases for delivery to San Francisco addresses. Second-hand shops will be allowed to sell vintage fur provided it is not from an endangered species.
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The ban follows a proposal put forward in December last year by San Francisco district supervisor Katy Tang. The city joins California’s West Hollywood and Berkeley, Brazil’s Sao Paulo, and India in adopting similar sale or import bans, but is the first major US city to go fur-free.
Retailers will have until 1 January 2020 to sell any leftover fur merchandise that was purchased before 20 March 2018. Final passage of the ordinance takes place on 27 March when the San Francisco board of supervisors is expected to endorse its vote, after which time it will be signed into law by Mayor Mark Farrell.
“San Francisco has today put itself on the map as a world-leading city in kind, progressive law making,” says Kitty Block, CEO of Humane Society International (HSI). “The fur trade is responsible for the suffering and death of more than 100m animals a year, either kept in tiny cages to be killed by gassing or electrocution, or trapped in the wild waiting hours or days to be shot, all for fashion. Let’s see this ban replicated in cities, states and countries across the world.”
In recent months an increasing number of top designers have dropped fur from their collections, including Italian luxury brand Versace, joining the likes of Gucci, Hugo Boss, Armani, Furla, Michael Kors and Jimmy Choo.
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By GlobalDataClaire Bass, HSI’s UK executive director will write to the British government urging Prime Minister Theresa May to follow San Francisco’s ethical lead.
“San Francisco is showing that animal fur is a fashion faux-pas that trend-setting San Franciscans simply will not tolerate. The vast majority of British people feel the same, and our campaign for a nationwide ban on the sale of fur is gaining momentum in the UK. For our government to realise its ambition of being ‘a world leader in animal welfare’ means closing our borders to the cruel, outdated and completely unnecessary fur trade.”
