Animal Cruelty in the Fashion Industry
It’s a bright sunny day in San Francisco! Rhea is all geared up for the luncheon organized in the city and she
looks herself up in the mirror. All decked up in her favourite costume and accessories from her go-to brand, she feels confident in her attire and is looking forward to a wonderful evening with her friends. Little does she know, that in some corner of the world – a cow was hurt for garnishing the leather, a sheep was reared for the fury clothes, a rhino was sacrificed for the vintage necklace, and a snake was forsaken for the premium shoe leather.
We seldom stop and think of the myriad impacts we create on the environment and animals in our pursuit to
overpower ourselves and spend our busy little day-to-day lives!
Facts (The Present Scenario):
Annually, all over the world, billions of animals are hurt and go through a lot of suffering for clothing and
accessories. More than 2.29 billion cows, calves, buffaloes, pigs, and goats are killed every year for his or her skins globally. Skins are taken from them to make leather, animals are caged and mis-treated for life before being sacrificed for their essential parts / body organs, feathers are uprooted from birds who in turn go through pain and misery. Illegal poaching for Rhino horns and critical parts of endangered species in certain parts of the world is a huge business run by systemic organizations which cause additional violence, baring aside the misery inflicted on the animals. Sheep are often beaten and butchered by workers stealing their wool and their skin for shearling.
Goats are similarly exploited for cashmere and mohair. All this cutting, killing is done in the name of fashion!
The poor living creatures are forced to live in
cramped, filthy, non-monitored conditions, with
no freedom whatsoever. The animals are at the
mercy and whims of workers who handle them
on a day-to-day basis.
After a lifetime of sacrifice with by-products
being sold at lucrative prices, they’re violently
slaughtered via the cheapest means possible,
including bludgeoning, anal electrocution, and
gassing. Some are even dismembered and
skinned alive.
Why Slaughter Houses and dairy Farms are so Profitable?
“Trapped animals used for his or her fur can suffer for days from blood loss, shock, dehydration, or can
be attacked by predators before trappers return to kill them.” Says PETA.
The fashion industry is one of the largest in the world. Have you ever wondered why slaughter houses and dairy farms are so profitable? This is primarily because once the milk producing capabilities of cows is limited or
gradually declining, they are sacrificed for their skin – which is considered as a luxury and a high-priced product in the form of calf-skin. The skin of the animal is often considered to be a significant economic co-product of the meatpacking industry, while the fat and blood is leveraged for cosmetics.
Even more alarming is the fact, that in certain scenarios, the poor creatures are skinned alive – the mere thought
of which is so disturbing!
In the US, while leather is made from sheep,
lambs, goats, and pigs – a majority of it is
made from the skins of cattle and calves.
While there are regulations in place for “exotic” animals / reptiles approaching extinction, such as alligators and crocodiles, there are limited checks and regulations in
place for the ‘cattle-class’. Fashion enterprise is likewise the second most maximum polluting enterprise globally.
Apparel production has doubled over the last
~15 years to meet consumers’ demand – this
is further aggravating the situation and adding
‘salt-to-injury’.
Way Ahead:
While there are various brands that are still producing clothes and accessories out of animal fur and skin –
it’s a relief to know that there are also fashion brands that consider animal cruelty a sin. They have taken
revolutionary steps in taking the fashion to another level without the involvement of any material that derives from
killing animals.
Multiple industries all over the world are trying to
do their bits and parts, while laws are changing
on animal abuse as well. The change comes not
just from the industry leaders, but with the
awareness in the society that “animals are not
ours”.
Thanks to PETA, for making an effort for taking
steps against top fashion brands and persuading
them to stop using animal derived materials in
the production of fashionable goods and
accessories.
Conclusion:
What we pick to wear has a powerful impact. We
should understand that our values and lifestyles
matter a lot on a global scale – and directly
impact the lives of so many speechless creatures.
- Our clothing choices not only improve our lives but also shape the future we leave for our children. ‘Sustainable Fashion’ is the way to go. Only after making simple and sustainable choices in life, we can shape a healthy future for our future generations and impose limited struggle to the poor animals.
- With the modifications withinside the legal guidelines and rules at higher level, it’s appropriate to recognise that there are approaches to supply garments and style add-ons without the use of animal substances.
- The idea of carrying vegan garments is gaining popularity – and this is a step in the right direction to absolutely prevent the slaughtering of animals.
- The truth that younger generation and GEN Z’s are way more aware of the negative implications of animal abuse on the planet – in itself is a positive thing to look at and a big win for the future generations to come.
- Various actions have been taken by fashion industries to reduce animal cruelty. Let’s review the study on animal welfare by FOUR PAWS which says-
- 38% of fashion brands appear to consider animal welfare, but this affects majorly on their supply chain
- 25% of brands have formal animal welfare policy
- 21% of brands uses assurance schemes which prioritise animal welfare, to trace at least some of their animal derived materials
- 9% of brands have an animal welfare policy and meet minimum 3 out of 5 best practice animal welfare principles as set out by FOUR LAWS
We ought to alternate the negative impact of fashion into a more ethical, positive, and empowering reality.
There’s a growing consensus in delivering ‘Sustainable Fashion’ to our future generations, however we need to
collectively fight this battle and protect the life-worthiness of the speechless animals, who devote their lives to us human beings!
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