Horrifying footage from several Canadian fur farms – including mink farms in British Columbia – was released today by the Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals (APFA).

Experts who have seen the footage describe it as disturbing, noting the often-filthy living conditions, the tiny cages the animals live in, and stereotypic behaviours such as continuously circling and jumping up the cage wall or biting the cage wires. According to wildlife veterinarian, Dr. Stefan Harsch, these conditions and behaviours “are clear signs of stress and suffering.”

 

BC SPCA chief scientific officer Dr. Sara Dubois says the footage shines the light on the “inherently inhumane” fur farming industry, which the BC SPCA has investigated on more than one occasion, most recently in August, 2014.

“Fur farming is a little-known industry in the province despite hundreds of thousands of mink being raised and killed each year in B.C., due to the large international exportation of products for foreign markets,” says Dubois “The breeding and farming of an animal who is wild in nature is of great concern to the BC SPCA because the internationally recognized ‘Five Freedoms’, including freedom to express natural behaviours that promote well-being, cannot be met.”

Dubois emphasizes that the BC SPCA is opposed to the infliction of pain or suffering upon, or the killing of any animal, explicitly for clothing or any aesthetic purpose.

The BC SPCA are reminding the public that the best way to stop fur farming is to say ‘no’ to all fur products including clothing, accessories with trim, and animal oils. Anyone interested in taking action on this issue can visit MakeFurHistory.com to learn more.

 

The British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals is a not-for-profit organization reliant on public donations. Our mission is to protect and enhance the quality of life for domestic, farm and wild animals in B.C.