Debunking Myths about Fur Farming

Myth #1: “Fur farming does not threaten human public health/safety”

Interacting with wild animals can be dangerous and has led to major pandemics like SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), Ebola, MERS-CoV (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus), COVID-19 (Coronavirus Disease 2019), and HPAI (Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza). Fur farming with minks is particularly risky for human health because minks can catch and spread respiratory viruses similar to those that affect humans. They can also carry viruses that evolve and change within the minks’ bodies before being passed back to people. These new strains put those with vulnerable immune systems, including seniors and children, at high risk.

Minks on fur farms live in poor conditions, crowded in small cages without enough sunlight or air. They often lack basic veterinary care and suffer from infections and injuries. This combination of factors makes mink farming a potential source of the next pandemic.

In 2024, experts are worried about minks’ vulnerability to COVID-19 and HPAI, which can easily spread between farmed animals and humans. Since April 2020, COVID-19 has affected over 450 mink farms in Europe and North America. HPAI has been found on more than 70 fur farms in Europe since 2023. In the U.S., testing for HPAI on fur farms is not required, so its presence there is unknown. Millions of animals have been killed to try to control these diseases, but efforts have not succeeded in eliminating them completely from the industry.

Myth #2: “Fur is more environmentally friendly or sustainable than other textiles”

Fur farms can harm the environment and health of nearby wildlife, resources, and human communities. Fur farms use harmful chemicals like formaldehyde and chromium to treat pelts, which are known to cause cancer. The animals produce waste that pollutes water with nitrous oxide and ammonia. Dangerous substances like mercury and pesticides from mink feed have been found in lakes close to these farms. Mink fur creates much more water pollution than polyester. Poorly disposed animal remains can damage ecosystems, and escaped minks can threaten wild populations by spreading disease and competing for resources.

Myth #3: “Fur farming can promote good animal welfare”

Fur farming, which keeps minks and other wild furbearing animals in captivity, harms animal welfare. There are no proper care standards, leading to poor living conditions that ignore the needs of these wild, solitary, and meat-eating animals. Minks are often kept in groups, causing stress that can result in cannibalism or self-harm. Despite spending much of their time swimming in the wild, they rarely have access to enough water beyond what’s needed for drinking. The fur industry has tried to appear more pro-welfare with initiatives like WelFur, started in 2009, which aimed to improve animal welfare through a certification program. However, the standards are weak and not effectively monitored. Dr. Clair Linzey from the Oxford Centre for Animal Ethics points out that the standards allow for serious injuries, questioning their effectiveness: “When we looked at the standards that they imposed to regulate what was considered good animal welfare within the fur industry, they included things like bent feet, ocular discharge, chewing off tails, and we really started asking ourselves, if WelFur is really a good standard of welfare for the animals involved, then why are there any injuries at all? Why are these animals regularly experiencing severe injuries?” Instead of helping animals, WelFur seems more about making consumers feel better about buying fur.

For more information on the dangers of fur farming and its risks to public health, read our report, Risky Business: The Danger of Zoonotic Disease in the Fur Trade.

Keep Wildlife in the Wild,
Devan