The fur industry is regularly accused of skinning animals alive

The most recent attack came this weekend online in the Daily Mail – a widely read publication both in the UK and globally. This time I have decided enough is enough and that now is the time to set the record straight. Here is my pledge to the industry and to consumers of fur to whom we have a duty of care:

Some people claim that the fur industry is skinning animals alive.

Let me be clear that would be totally unacceptable and impractical to do. I know of no one in the fur business who would do that. As CEO of the International Fur Federation I promise that if anybody has real and factual evidence with names and locations clearly showing anyone in the fur industry taking part in the barbaric practice of skinning animals alive then I pledge I will bring that evidence to the attention of the relevant authorities so that they can prosecute those involved.

Please email Mark Oaten at [email protected] or contact the IFF via twitter (@we_are_fur) using the hashtag #IFFCEOPledge

The IFF’s China members are completely supportive of my position and two of the leading fur farmers have made their own commitment as follows:

We operate several of the leading fur farms in mainland China and are members of the International Fur Federation (IFF). We work to the highest welfare standards and have done a great deal of work in recent years to adopt best practice standards that are similar to those of leading European fur farms. We fully support Mark Oaten’s statement that skinning alive is completely unacceptable and abhorrent and is certainly not something that is practised in the regulated fur industry.