AARA held its third Have a Heart Don't Wear Fur Event.
We have been out every year for National Anti Fur Day since our group was formed!!
National Anti-Fur Day was started on Valentine's Day, 1989 by Action Volunteers for Animals members Stephanie Brown, Merlin Andrews (RIP 1915-2013) and Don Roebuck to unite activists in Canada who are committed to local anti-fur campaigns. "Have a Heart, Don't Wear Fur" has been the main tagline for the event since 1989. 2014 was AARA's first year as a group and join the Demo, we had 7 protestors at the event, and one Crazy woman scream in our face. But we knew what we were doing was right!! We stood out in the cold for 2 hours, out front of The Richmond Hill Furriers, Yonge St Richmond Hill. The one woman stopped in her car twice to call us horrible name and tell us we should all die she said to me "if this was Texas she would shoot us all executioner style" we were positive and told her have a nice day, and Jesus loves her, she then said "Jesus would kill me for doing wrong" after 2 1/2 hours of peaceful protesting (we were not chanting) the police showed up as they were called by the store, they said there were reports of us harassing clients of the store, we never spoke to anyone coming in or out of the store.
Any time our group has encounter the police they have always been very supportive and kind toward us!
Our last 2 events we have blistering cold temperatures and a snow bank to deal with. Our original protest date was going to be Feb 14th but is was once again blistering cold, its wasn't going to be a good turn out to the event so we postponed it for 1 week. Well the snow vanished and the sun came out for our event!!! Thank you to the amazing volunteers/protestors who stood in the cold trying to hold signs against the wind. We had 2 brand new protestors join our event!! Thank you everyone who came out to support this event and the animal that have died for fur or being hunted, stuck in a trap or trapped in a cage on a farm!! Richmond Hill Furriers has over 35 years of business at the same location. This year when I looked inside I didn't see any full length fur coats only coats with fur trim. This could be progress!!! Join us again to stand up for what is right!!
(Next event info at bottom of page)
HAVE A HEART AND DON"T WEAR FUR!! 2015 Protest photos 2014 Protest photos
Please Watch :
Fur Farms Facts
Using techniques forged by factory farmers, ‘fur farms’ are places where animals are kept and killed in order to produce fur pelts.
Animals, including fox, mink, raccoon dogs, and rabbits are kept in tiny bare cages – often only large enough for them to turn around. These highly intelligent, sentient animals are prevented from fulfilling their most basic psychological and emotional needs through play, social interaction and exploration.
The few standards that exist are often created by industry and are voluntary as opposed to legally binding.
Over 100,000,000 animals are killed for their fur every year worldwide.
In the wild, mink spend up to 60 per cent of their time in the water, have a home range of 5km2 and are extremely territorial. On fur farms, mink spend their entire lives in cages measuring 1’ by 3’, never have the chance to swim, and live crammed up against hundreds – even thousands – of other animals.
Fox, raccoon dogs, rabbits and other fur-bearing animals kept on fur farms are highly social animals who never get a taste of freedom they are born craving.
The environmental damage caused by fur farms is different in every region, but rarely are there appropriate controls to protect ecosystems.
Fur Trapping Industry
The commercial fur industry wants the public to believe that traps are safe and humane. They are anything but.
All traps are designed to hold an animal against their will: even if the animal isn’t injured by the closing action of the trap, he or she will be left in the trap for as long as a week. While trapped, these animals are exposed to the elements, other wildlife, and often suffer from starvation, dehydration and injuries related to attempting to release themselves from the trap.
When trappers eventually return, any animal that has not already succumbed to death is stomped, bludgeoned or choked to death – or killed using other brutal methods that preserve the pelt.
The notorious leg-hold trap is often thought to be illegal throughout the world. While it has been banned in over 60 countries around the world, and several states in the US, the leg-hold trap is still legal and commonly used in Canada, as well as in parts of the United States and Europe.
Traps do not discriminate between the animals that trigger them. Endangered species, domestic dogs and cats, and other non-target animals are often caught. A study by the American Veterinary Association indicates that as many as 67 per cent of animals caught in traps are unintended victims.
This must be stopped!!
Join AARA and Toronto to stand up against the Fur Industry,
Make the Pledge at MakeFurHistory.com,
Sign the Animal Charter at animalcharter.ca,
Thank you for reading - Katie for AARA
