Obese Foxes Being Bred for Fur in Finland
Shocking new footage from the animal rights organisation Oikeutta eläimille reveals that blue foxes on Finnish fur farms are being bred to grow obese, just so their pelts will be larger and worth more money when sold.
Despite Finnish legislation prohibiting breeding practices that may cause animals to suffer, the law is often ignored when it comes to fur farms. Weighing five times their natural weight in the wild, the foxes struggle as they attempt to move inside their tiny cages and suffer from eye defects, weak legs, and joint problems.
As seen in the disturbing footage, the enormous foxes are kept in stark, cramped cages, a world apart from their natural environment. These inquisitive and sensitive animals have no opportunity to socialise, exercise, or play for their entire lives, and they’re finally killed by gassing or electrocution – methods chosen to avoid damaging their fur.
According to Oikeutta eläimille, the skins of the animals in the footage are sold by Saga Furs, and 83 per cent of those sold at the company’s last auction were the large pelts. Many of the furs sold by this brand end up in luxury fashion houses such as Louis Vuitton, Gucci, and Michael Kors.
Foxes should be spending their days roaming in the wild. They should not be bred to enormous sizes and crammed into filthy cages for people’s wardrobes. Countries across Europe are turning their backs on this cruelty and banning fur farms, and there’s growing pressure on the Finnish government to take action to protect these foxes and other animals used for their fur.
What You Can Do
Please speak out against this cruel practice by tweeting Finland’s Minister of Agriculture and Forestry, Jari Leppä.
Even though the UK banned fur farms in 2000, more than £2.5 million worth of fur items have been imported from Finland over the last five years. Please also speak out if you ever see fur on sale to help stop this unethical industry.
