Let’s Praise West Hollywood Councillors

West Hollywood leads the United States in respect of their attitude towards animals. In 1989, West Hollywood passed Resolution Number 558 which proclaimed the city a “Cruelty Free Zone for Animals.” Bravo!

They really do speak up and take action for what is right. Yes, I say what is right because declawing was banned in West Hollywood. It was the first place in all of the United to ban declawing. That happened as I recall in 2003. Seven other municipalities followed suit.

Then they banned pet store cats and dogs. And now they have banned the selling of real fur in West Hollywood to come into force on 2013. The ordinance was adopted on September 20th 2011. West Hollywood are the first legislators to ban fur in the United States. Cat and dog fur was banned in Europe in 2009 as I understand it.

The fur market is worse than the declawing market but it is an almost invisible market despite being huge and massively profitable.

I am not talking about the fox fur coats or bobcat products etc., important though they are as examples of inhumane treatment of animals, I am talking about fur trim in gloves, coats and shoes etc.. This fur is often cat and dog fur and it is imported into Europe and North America from that country where ghastly deeds take place against the vulnerable domestic dog and cat – China. It should be a pariah state but countries still court favour with the Chinese government for commercial reasons which gives them license to continue cruelty against animals.

The creation of fur products starts with acts of unashamed cruelty against frightened and confused domestic animals in cold, grey factories in China. The animals are killed in a brutal manner (example of what happens in China). We don’t think about that when we put on a pair of gloves that are fur lined. We just don’t think about it and I don’t blame anyone except the politicians and big business who work hand in hand.

Obama has introduced legislation intended to force suppliers of fur to be honest in describing its source. Often real cat fur is described as faux fur. The whole seedy market is bent.

Let’s praise West Hollywood. Their councillors lead the way in the USA for truly moral law making. This is something that I believe the majority of Americans want. It is time to treat animals with respect. Can people stop being less arrogant and more respectful of our fellow creatures on this abused planet?

This page adds some more detail.

Michael

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Feb 13, 2012 Praise from me too NEW by: Ruth Good on West Hollywood, I wish the whole of the USA would follow their example. People do need to start thinking twice about what they eat and use and wear, it’s easy to get into a routine of checking every label before buying anything. It’s terrible if real fur is being passed off as faux fur, the only answer to that is not to buy ANY sort of fur. Animals need fur, humans don’t, we surely have plenty of other materials already for what we need to wear.