Lord Waheed Alli Receives First-Of-Its-Kind PETA Award For Shunning Stoat Robe

For Immediate Release:
5 March 2009

Contact:
Sam Glover 020 7357 9229, ext 229; [email protected]  

London – For trading in his traditional ermine-trimmed robe for one which uses faux fur, Waheed Alli, a member of the House of Lords, will receive the first-ever Certificate of Honour from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Europe.

According to news reports, Lord Alli commissioned London’s oldest tailor, Ede & Ravenscroft, to apply a fake fur made from knitted nylon to his scarlet ceremonial robe after he decided that he no longer wished to wear real fur. The robes, which date back to the 15th century, are traditionally trimmed with the skins of brown stoats, whose coats go white in the winter.

PETA feels fur should have no place in the House of Lords or any other house because animals raised on fur farms are confined to tiny, filthy cages in all weather extremes before they are electrocuted, poisoned or gassed or have their necks broken. Animals trapped overseas for their fur suffer excruciating pain before they are bludgeoned or stamped to death by trappers. The use of snares, which cause animals to experience panic and die slowly, is still legal in Britain. An undercover investigation in China – now the world’s leading fur exporter – revealed that animals, including cats and dogs, are often skinned alive before dying a slow, painful death.

Lord Alli will receive a framed Certificate of Honour, which shows a rabbit dashing across the snow and reads as follows: “PETA Europe Ltd thanks Lord Waheed Alli for shunning cruelty to animals whilst maintaining tradition – by wearing ceremonial robes trimmed with faux fur – in the House of Lords. We applaud Lord Alli for the compassionate example that he has set for his peers”.

“Lord Alli – a man of means who can afford to wear anything that he desires – has set a precedent by refusing to wear traditional fur garb”, says PETA Europe Director Robbie LeBlanc. “We hope that his compassionate decision will set an example for other members of the Upper Chamber – and everyone else – to follow.”

For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.