Why Animals Are People In Fur Coats

Christina Ge
Heng Je Shr
Buddhism
March 16, 2013
Animals Are People in Fur Coats
The Story of My Search
You are trapped in a cage with many strangers pressing against you, pleading and crying. Suddenly, you see a man come to the cage and open it, dragging a girl out. She tries to fight and you hear a sickening thump as the man slams his foot into her face. The girl, whose face is now a bloody and deformed mess, is then skinned alive by the man, her shrill screams filling the room. This is what it feels like to be an animal in a fur farm, one of the many mechanisms of animal cruelty. Although many people are unaware of this, it is happening everywhere around the world, even to this day.
Since I was young, I have always had an interest
and passion for animals. While other kids at school wanted to become famous when they grew up, I wanted to become a veterinarian. With animals, I feel as if we have a mutual understanding of one another. Whenever I encountered an animal or somebody else’s pet, by the time it came for me to go, I had made a new friend. For some reason, I am always more at ease when I am with animals, and compassion overwhelms my heart. When I was in China visiting my grandparents, she took my mother and me to the store to buy groceries. Nevertheless, the route was long so we decided to take the bus instead. Later, when we were done shopping, we grabbed our groceries and waited at the bus stop to go back. As I was scanning the streets for any sign of a bus, I saw a small white blob hiding underneath a bench. When I drew closer to it, I saw that it was a small, dirty dog. My first instinct was to bend down and give it some water from my bottle. However, right after I poured water into my bottle cap, my grandmother shouted at me, scaring the dog. She began to scold me for trying to touch the dog because stray pets always carried diseases. When I asked her if we could bring it back home, she pretended not to hear me and tried calling a taxi. By that time, many people on the street were staring at us. At that exact moment, I could feel the anger arising in me, never had I ever been this angry before. I thought, “How could you be so selfish? We cannot just leave this dog here because fur trappers will kidnap him. If we send him to a shelter, the people will just abuse him and eventually kill him. How can you just continue to live, knowing that you could have saved a life? How can you look at yourself in the mirror, knowing that you abandoned a helpless being?” From that moment on, I knew animals were my passion and that I was willing to do whatever I could to save them. In the course of my I-Search, I hope to attain more knowledge on what really happens in fur farms. The truth is not always pretty but if we want to make a change, we must first acknowledge this fact and do something about it. I am particularly interested in knowing how the animals are treated and how the workers can tolerate taking so many lives. I always wanted to know what both the worker and the animal felt like. With this I-Search, I think this will be the ultimate test whether or not I want to become a veterinarian in the future. I am a person who tires of things very easily and quickly; nevertheless, my love for animals has stayed with me for the past 15 years while all other passions faded. Hence, I have developed the research question: What really goes on in fur farms?
Results of My Search The next time you see something that is labelled with “Fur Trim”, think twice before you buy it. During my research, I have learned that the fur on your clothing may not be 100% of what it says it is. For example, many fur companies rely on China to produce them with the fur (“A Shocking Look”). However, China’s reputation of producing pure fur is not reliable. In fact, many fur factories in China kidnap random pets, such as dogs and cats, off the street and turn them into fur clothing. Hence, the next time you buy a fur coat, you may be wearing man’s best friend (“Animals”). The process of producing fur is not only grotesque and utterly inhumane, but unknown by many as well.
Many fur factories ban people form coming into their factories in fear of exposure. In a fur factory in southern China, investigators were stunned by the abuse dogs and cats had to undergo. The abuse ranged from being bludgeoned and hanged to being strangled by wire nooses. Many pets were kept in tiny cages, showing obvious signs of discomfort and exhaustion. During transportation, cages were often times thrown from the tops of trucks to the ground, 10 feet below, which usually shattered the animals’ legs. Many of these animals still had their collars on their necks, proof that they were once someone’s beloved companion. Once the animals have been delivered, it is time for the most gruesome procedure- the skinning. Before the animals are skinned, they are yanked from their cages by their legs, and thrown senselessly onto the ground. Next, they are bludgeoned and beaten many times, but still remain alive. The next step is for the worker to start cutting the skin from the tail down. As the animals writhe in pain, the workers step onto their heads and necks, allowing a cleaner cut. The reason they must skin the animal while it is still alive is so that the fur remains intact and keeps its soft texture. After the animals are skinned, their bloody bodies are thrown into the pile with the others. If you listen to the pink, bloody bodies, you can hear their ragged gasps, still
clenching onto life. Even after they are skinned, the animals’ hearts continue to beat for five to ten minutes (“The Chinese Fur Industry”).
Reflections of My Search After this search, I have not only seen the truth behind the mysterious fur trading industry, but the cruel actions we humans make as well.
During my research, I watched an uncensored video documenting the process of skinning a raccoon dog, an animal found in eastern Asia. At the end of the video, I found myself crying, not only out of sympathy but because I could not and was not doing anything about it. I have learned that some of the prettiest things in life undergo an ugly process before they become what they are. I have also realized that as a vegetarian, I must be stricter in what I wear and buy. Whenever I went out, I would always refuse to eat meat; yet, I would later find myself buying a leather bag. After watching the process of attaining such things, I have decided to not only cut off the consumption of animals but animal products as well. I do not believe that any small luxury is worth the pain those animals must face, all for us greedy
humans. During winter break, I was talking to my childhood friend, Brian, who needed help with a speech he needed to give for English class. When he told me that his topic was the exposure of fur farms, I was surprised. Never before had I thought of doing a report of such a topic, mainly because it had never even crossed my mind. However, when I was helping him revise my essay, I found myself becoming more interested in this topic. As time went on and the break ended, I could not stop thinking about the abuse inflicted upon so many animals in this world. This then led me to choose this topic for my I-Search. I hope that in the future, starting from now, more and more people throughout the world will become more aware of issues such as the ones in fur factories. If people continue to be ignorant and greedy, then our society will be swallowed up with our never-ending desires. This search has not only revealed the truth about animal cruelty, but the truth about myself and what I am truly passionate about as well.

Bibliography
"A Shocking Look Inside Chinese Fur Farms." PETA Asia-Pacific. People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.
"Animals Used For Fur." Peta.org. People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.
"The Chinese Fur Industry." Peta.org. People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals, n.d. Web. 18 Mar. 2013.