Watch: Mena Suvari Blasts Cruel Down Industry in PETA US Ad Campaign
With a swirl of bloody feathers encircling her face, vegan American Beauty and American Pie star Mena Suvari blasts the down industry in a brand-new ad campaign for PETA US that proclaims, “Cruelty to Animals Gets Me Down. Down Production Is Agony for Ducks. Please Don’t Buy It.”
In an accompanying video spot, Suvari recalls first learning about the way in which birds suffer for down: “I just remember sitting in my home, and I was watching one of the videos showing these geese who were having their feathers ripped out while they were still alive, and they were screaming,” she says. “And it was really, really horrifying.” She immediately threw her feather-filled duvets and pillows in the bin. “I could not accept myself after watching that video, laying my head down on these pillows and going to sleep that night,” she explains.
A recent PETA exposé of the down industry in China shows workers ripping geese’s feathers out – leaving open, bloody wounds – while the birds are fully conscious. Dead birds were found decaying in crates and ponds or tossed outside like rubbish.
Suvari previously teamed up with PETA US to call for a ban on fur farming in Estonia. She is part of a long list of celebrities – including her American Woman co-star Alicia Silverstone as well as Gillian Anderson, Joaquin Phoenix, and Krysten Ritter – who have helped PETA or its international affiliates promote kindness to animals.
What You Can Do
Please never buy or wear any products that contain down. You can find a list of major retailers that have ditched down here. If your favourite brand isn’t on this list or you see a shop selling feather-filled items, ask it to adopt a down-free policy.
