Sourcing and ethics

I sometimes get asked where I source my animals from and if the pelts are obtained in an ethical way, which are ofcourse reasonable questions to ask. To protect my suppliers, I will not be giving out any names of farms or sellers. These businesses don’t even have a social media presence, so there really is no relevant info for my customers to be found online. Due to how EU law works, private addresses are often linked to business info which is another reason I can’t and won’t give out names. Ofcourse, pictures of the farm and animals can be provided through direct communication with me under the condition they are not shared with others without my permission. Have other questions not answered below? Feel free to contact me either through the contact form on the website or via social media. 

Why do you sell fur?
I started out doing taxidermy, which quickly turned into researching about fur in general. I firmly believe in trying to be as sustainable as possible, which for me includes using the least amount of non-biodegradable products. Fur is a fascinating material, but it's sometimes treated as 'just' a fabric by fur sellers and wearers. It's not, it was once a living animal and this is where it differs from a material like wool. You can't keep asking for more fur and bigger pelts, which is in my experience exactly what is happening in some parts of the world. 

Did you know that a 100 years ago, it wasn't even prohibited to falsely label a fur coat? Sable is expensive, so  we used skunk pelts dyed black and called it black sable. Muskrat became mink, and dog fur became wolf fur. Luckily we now have clear labelling laws. There's one thing missing on those labels though; the origin of the fur itself. Where was the animal raised and in what kind of conditions? As a former vegetarian (yes, really), it didn't sit right with me to just purchase wholesale fur of unknown origin. Sure, just by knowing what kind of fur is produced where you can mostly be certain your Golden Island fox pelt is likely European and your coyote pelt is either from Canada or the US. I didn't want it to end there though, I wanted to be able to reassure my customers that I'd seen the living conditions of the animals in person. 

Where do my pelts come from? 
Most of the pelts I sell come from animals bred on, what is often called, a fur farm. The animals here have been in captivity for many, many generations and aren’t the same as their wild counterparts in many ways. No animals on these farms come from the wild, it’s simply not legal and it wouldn’t be right for a wild animal to have to adjust to live in captivity. Captive bred foxes, minks and raccoondogs are all much larger in size than their wild counterparts. They usually also have different fur colors. These animals are genetically different from ones found in the wild, with them displaying less to no fear of humans and even liking human interaction. Differences in hormone levels have also been found, affecting everything from fertility to behavior. It’s safe to say animals on fur farms are not wild animals and some people would almost call them domesticated.

I currently source my fur from Finland, Poland and the US. I do not buy from fur farms in the US, but I do buy wild fur from trappers and hunters. Almost all of my mountable fox pelts come from Poland, along with most of my wallhanger pelts. Some wallhanger pelts are from Finland, as well as most of my fox tails. Most wild fur is from the US and Canada. 

EU law already forbids animal cruelty, but the fur trade has set up its own rules and guidelines to ensure high animal welfare standards, as well as things like proper management of waste materials and environmentally friendly tanning/dressing and dyeing of pelts. I only buy fur from WelFur certified farms. The animals on these farms live good lives, sheltered from harsh weather conditions and receiving all the care they need. This means animals get straw and hay for their nesting boxes, toys and chews for enrichment and fresh species appropriate food multiple times a day. When an animal is hurt or sick, it’s treated by the farmer or a veterinarian.

Are animals killed for their fur only?
One of the concerns most often mentioned is that species like fox, mink and raccoondog aren’t eaten, so the animals are killed solely for their fur. This isn’t true. Fats and oils from fur animals are used in cosmetics and medicine, and the meat is used to feed other animals. Anything inedible is used as fertilizer or biofuel.

Due to concerns about prion diseases, it’s illegal by EU law to sell any carnivore meat for human consumption. This is also true for any omnivore or herbivore having eaten animal protein during its life. This is the reason we do not eat animals raised on fur farms. Even if we wanted to, we can't eat the meat of the animals whose fur I sell. 

Are your products ethical?
Would I consider the products I sell to be ethical? Yes. Would someone else consider them ethical? Maybe not.

Ethical is a subjective term. Animal death involves pain, unless the animal was put down quickly like we do with foxes, or when a pet is euthanized. The roadkill fox in my freezer was in pain before it died, so I don’t consider it so be a cruelty free pelt.