How You Can Help Stop the Fur Trade

1. Shop with compassion. Always choose garments and accessories free of fur and fur trim.

2. Sign up for free alerts. Contact the FFA member organization in your country to sign up for email updates and find out about anti-fur events in your area.

3. Educate fur wearers. If you see someone wearing fur, whether it is a full-length coat or trim on the cuffs or hood, talk to them about the cruelty of fur, or hand them a brochure or card. If you are in North America, you can order Fur-Free Campaign Materials free of charge from The HSUS website. For all other areas, contact the FFA member organization in your country.

4. Write to department stores that sell real fur and tell them that you prefer to shop at stores that do not contribute to animal cruelty. Email us to find out which stores in your nation sell real animal fur.

5. Hand out leaflets for an hour. Good locations include in front of department stores that sell fur, the opera, the theatre, and other places where fur wearers gather. If you are in North America, you can order Fur-Free Campaign Materials free of charge from The HSUS website. For all other areas, contact the FFA member organization in your country.

6. Write a letter to decision makers. If your nation, state, province, county, or city has pending legislation dealing with trapping, fur farming, or any other aspect of the fur industry, write to your decision-makers and tell them you support protecting animals from the fur trade.

If you are a U.S. citizen, you can learn about the current status of fur-related legislation by going to The HSUS Government Affairs website. Here you can click on your state to find out about the situation of any animal-related state legislation, including trapping and other fur-related bills.

7. Write a letter to the editor. The letters to the editor section is one of the most commonly read sections of newspapers and magazines, so it's a great way to reach a very large audience. Letters to the editor are widely read by community leaders and lawmakers trying to judge public sentiment. You can use such letters to challenge information or views about fur not accurately addressed in a news article or editorial.

When sending a letter, remember to provide your full name, address, and daytime phone number; keep it short and focused on only one subject; and refrain from openly attacking the paper, writer (if responding to an article or previous letter), or other readers. You'll have the best chance of getting your letter published if you send your letter within one or two days after the original story was published.

8. Wear an anti-fur shirt, necklace, or button, and put a bumpersticker on your car.

9. Show videos to your friends and relatives. A good choice is The Witness.

10. Donate to the member organizations of the Fur Free Alliance and help support our anti-fur campaigns. Visit the Member Info page to find the FFA affiliate in your nation.