Victory: Lacoste Pulls Angora Stock

French clothing retailer Lacoste is the latest company to confirm to PETA that it’s removing all angora wool products and has requested to be added to our list of retailers that do not sell angora. “As part of its CSR policy, we can confirm that Lacoste has no plan to use angora fibers in its coming collections”, the company says in a statement. This is great news for animals and compassionate shoppers. PETA Asia’s unprecedented investigation shows that rabbits who have their fur cut or sheared also suffer greatly during the cutting process. Their front and back legs are tightly tethered so that they can be stretched out over a board – a terrifying experience for any prey animal. Others are suspended in the air by their forelimbs. Rabbits have very thin skin, and the sharp cutting tools invariably wound them as they struggle desperately to escape. The angora farming industry also condemns these intelligent animals to spend years in isolation in small, filthy wire cages that cut into their sensitive paws and prevent them from engaging in normal behaviour, exercise and interaction with other rabbits. These are standard practices in the barbaric angora industry. Regardless of whether the rabbits have been plucked or sheared, if a label says “angora”, it means that rabbits have suffered. There’s quite simply no way to obtain angora responsibly, which is why so many companies have switched to humane, animal-free fabrics, which are readily available. We’re glad to welcome Lacoste to our list of companies that have told us that they will not be using angora in future collections. PETA and our supporters are now urging the few remaining retailers, including Benetton, to follow Lacoste’s lead and show that cruelty to animals has no place in their stores.