By Miriam Raftery
October 12, 2019 (Sacramento) – Before the gold rush of 1849, the fur trade lured trappers and hunters to California. But times have changed. Now, opponents of animal cruelty have succeeded in passing a bill signed into law by Governor Gavin Newsom that makes California the first state in the U.S. to outlaw the sale, trade, gifting or manufacturing of most animal furs and fur products starting in 2023.
The ban does not apply to used furs, nor to leather, cow hides, sheepskins, deer or goat hides. Animals stuffed and preserved through taxidermy are also exempt.
Animal rights advocates have argued that animals raised for fur are often kept in squalid conditions and that killing methods of farm-raised animals, such as electrocution, are inhumane. Trapping wild animals inflicts cruelty and endangers native wildlife, supporters of the ban note. Moreover, they contend, faux-fur products now resemble real furs, providing alternatives for consumers seeking a fur look for coats, stoles, boot trim, purses or other products.
A press release from the Humane Society USA states, “We applaud Gov. Newsom and the state’s lawmakers for recognizing that California citizens do not want their state’s markets to contribute to the demand for fur products.
However the ban drew sharp criticism from the fur industry. Keith Kaplan, spokesman for the Fur Industry Council, has called the new law part of a “radical vegan agenda using fur as the first step to other bans on what we wear and eat.”
Anyone breaking the new law could be fined up to $500 for a first offense and $1,000 for repeat violations.
Governor Newsom also signed a second animal protection bill that bans most animals from circus acts, allowing only cats, dogs and horses. Rodeos are exempted. The bill was amended to also include other exclusions, such as to allow educational programming.
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