Recently, thanks to a 2011 city fur ban, you will not find fur for sale in the high end boutiques of West Hollywood. The new ban went into effect last year, which makes this the first city in the country to ban the sale of wearable fur in retail stores.
The ban was passed by city council members with a unanimous vote, and applies to all articles of clothing, but not furniture, blankets or leather products.
This area of Hollywood has been known to be very animal-friendly, and has ordinances that also ban the sale of dogs and cats, as well as declawing cats, and live wild life performances. In the city code, people who have pets are referred to as “guardians” rather than owners.
Retailers in this area have protested the fur ban, stating it is an unfair restriction on their businesses. However the federal court does not seem to see it in the same way. Although banning the sale of fur in these West Hollywood stores will cause an inconvenience to visitors and residents since they have to travel to neighboring cities, animal welfare is an important cause to West Hollywood council.
An estimated 85% of the world’s fur is produced on fur farms. About 60 million minks and 1.5 million foxes are used in fur production every year. Hollywood is known for being a high fashion capital and is an economic stronghold, but the mayor states, “This city is not in the business of curtailing business.” The city council spokeswoman, Tamara White, told ABC, “We’ve consistently worked to enact cutting-edge welfare legislation. This is in line with our values.”
What do you think of West Hollywood’s fur ban? Now that West Hollywood has banned the wearable fur, do you think other cities will adopt similar bans? Do you think the ban will extend to include all fur-made products?
