Last week brought some good news and some bad news for animal welfare.
I was delighted to hear that a new EU ruling will mean that clothing and textiles made from real fur will have to be clearly labelled. The new law follows widespread confusion over whether fur on the High Street was real or fake. An RSPCA poll found that 93 per cent of people think products should be clearly labelled as real or fake fur, and more than half said it would stop them buying the item if it wasn’t labelled. A further 95 per cent said that they would refuse to wear real fur.
Having worked in fashion retail in the past, I know that price is not always a clue as to whether an item is made from real fur. It is a common misconception that cheaper items are going to be fake fur. In fact in the poll, 77 % of people asked thought price would be a big indication about whether an item was real or fake fur.
This is exactly how some items made from real fur have snuck onto the High Street. Consumers deserve to be able to make an informed choice about the items they choose to buy – I just hope there’s enough people out there who would refuse to wear real fur and therefore demand for such items may diminish.
I was delighted to hear that a new EU ruling will mean that clothing and textiles made from real fur will have to be clearly labelled. The new law follows widespread confusion over whether fur on the High Street was real or fake. An RSPCA poll found that 93 per cent of people think products should be clearly labelled as real or fake fur, and more than half said it would stop them buying the item if it wasn’t labelled. A further 95 per cent said that they would refuse to wear real fur.
Having worked in fashion retail in the past, I know that price is not always a clue as to whether an item is made from real fur. It is a common misconception that cheaper items are going to be fake fur. In fact in the poll, 77 % of people asked thought price would be a big indication about whether an item was real or fake fur.
This is exactly how some items made from real fur have snuck onto the High Street. Consumers deserve to be able to make an informed choice about the items they choose to buy – I just hope there’s enough people out there who would refuse to wear real fur and therefore demand for such items may diminish.
However, the bad news is that the Government has decided not to bring in an outright ban on wild animals in circuses. Instead, a new licensing scheme will be introduced. Needless to say, this simply does not go far enough. We desperately need an outright ban and the RSPCA is furious that the Government has not brought one in – especially given that its own consultation found that 94% of people wanted a ban.
The RSPCA has been campaigning to make the use of wild animals in circuses illegal for many years and thinks that animals such as elephants, tigers and lions should not be subjected to the confinement, constant transportation and abnormal social groups associated with circus life simply in the name of entertainment.
The recent plight of Anne the elephant, who was the last touring elephant in the UK, illustrated the problem perfectly. After being rescued by groups including the RSPCA, she is now recovering and rehabilitating at Longleat safari park. But, without a ban, animals like Anne could continue to suffer.
There’s no doubt about whether a ban should be brought in - the days when it was acceptable to haul wild animals around to be gawped at and to entertain with unnatural tricks are long gone.
The Independent newspaper has launched its own campaign to encourage the Government to change its mind and the petition is being handed into Downing St tomorrow – please do lend your support by adding your name to the petition today. The Government needs to listen to public opinion and there’s a huge strength in numbers. Log onto http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/circusanimals to help. Thank you xxx
Finally, as you tuck into your lunch today, you may want to think about what is filling your sandwich. This week is British Sandwich Week and we’re asking people to consider higher welfare choices for their sarnies. A YouGov poll found only one in ten people considered animal welfare when buying their lunch – despite more than half the people polled saying they did consider higher welfare items when doing their weekly food shop. More info at www.rspca.org.uk/fairerfillings
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