Washington, D.C. — Today, Born Free USA, a global leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation, announced its third annual “Fur for the Animals” campaign: a donation drive to collect unwanted fur coats and accessories, which are repurposed and sent to wildlife rehabilitation centers around the country to help comfort orphaned and injured wildlife. [teaserbreak]
Since the initiative began in 2014, more than 800 fur items, worth more than $1.5 million and representing approximately 26,000 animals killed, have been donated to Born Free USA and distributed to wildlife rehabilitation centers around the U.S.
According to Adam M. Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA, “Since we launched this campaign in 2014, we have seen an overwhelming outpouring of donations from across the globe: fur coats, scarves, hats, gloves, pillows, toys, and more. Frequently, the donations arrive with exceptionally moving thank-you notes from people relieved to find a worthy use for unwanted fur. These are often inherited items or regretted fashion decisions that have stayed in closets and storage units for years, until the owners heard about Fur for the Animals. The success of this campaign illustrates that consumers increasingly want nothing to do with fur in fashion. While urging people to not buy fur, we also provide an answer with fur already purchased: put it to good use by comforting wildlife.”
“Fur comes only from misery and death, and the demand feeds a barbaric and cruel industry. The fur that has come to our office over the past three years came from tens of thousands of animals who all suffered tremendously,” Roberts explains.
Born Free USA’s Fur for the Animals campaign comes two weeks after the organization released its shocking undercover trapping investigation, Victims of Vanity II, which reveals brutal, dangerous, and sometimes illegal trapping on both private and public land—all to supply the fur industry. Born Free USA hopes to reduce the supply, demand, and social acceptance of fur not only by showing the truth about trapping, but by taking fur out of circulation wherever possible and giving it back to where it belongs: with the animals.
Once collected, Born Free USA will continue to send the fur to wildlife rehabilitation centers and sanctuaries, including: The Fund for Animals Wildlife Center (Ramona, CA), Wildlife Rescue and Rehabilitation (Kendalia, TX), Blue Ridge Wildlife Center (Boyce, VA), and Born Free USA’s newest campaign partners: OPR Coastal Primate Sanctuary (Longview, WA), Cleveland Amory Black Beauty Ranch (Murchison, TX), and Wild Animal Sanctuary (Keenesburg, CO). For a full list of partners, visit www.bornfreeusa.org/furdrive. Additional wildlife rehabilitation partners are welcome, and they can learn more by contacting info@bornfreeusa.org.
Born Free USA commends the growing number of fashion retailers vowing to go fur free. In March 2016, Giorgio Armani announced it will be removing animal fur from its collections beginning with its Fall/Winter 2016 line. Armani has joined such brands as Hugo Boss, H&M, Steve Madden, Marks & Spencer, Topshop, and Zara. For a full list of fur free fashion retailers, click here.
Born Free USA is a member of Fur Free Alliance: an international coalition of animal protection organizations working to bring an end to the exploitation and killing of animals for their fur. Fur Free Alliance represents more than 40 animal protection organizations in 28 countries, and has millions of supporters worldwide.
Born Free USA is a nationally recognized leader in animal welfare and wildlife conservation. Through litigation, legislation, and public education, Born Free USA leads vital campaigns against animals in entertainment, exotic “pets,” trapping and fur, and the destructive international wildlife trade. Born Free USA brings to North America the message of “compassionate conservation”—the vision of the United Kingdom-based Born Free Foundation, established in 1984 by Bill Travers and Virginia McKenna, stars of the iconic film Born Free, along with their son, Will Travers. Born Free USA’s mission is to end suffering of wild animals in captivity, conserve threatened and endangered species, and encourage compassionate conservation globally. More at www.bornfreeusa.org, www.twitter.com/bornfreeusa, and www.facebook.com/bornfreeusa.
Photos of orphaned wildlife at rehabilitation centers using donated fur collected by Born Free USA:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/bornfreeusa/albums/72157645678555131
Photos of animal trapping (WARNING: some images are extremely graphic): https://www.flickr.com/photos/bornfreeusa/albums/72157668127137146
Media contact: Rodi Rosensweig, TheRodiCompany@gmail.com, 203/270-8929.