Fur-Free United States

Humane World for Animals is working to end fur factory farming and the sale of new fur products in the United States. We work with advocates and nonprofit coalition partners at the local, state and federal levels to put an end to the fur industry across the country.

Ending fur sales

The U.S. is the third largest importer of new fur products in the world, behind only Russia and the South Korea. Communities and states across the country can end their support for the cruel fur industry by no longer allowing the sale of new fur products. Municipalities across the country are passing ordinances to prohibit the sale of new fur products, including clothing, accessories and home décor, and we are working with advocates to bring these ordinances to their own communities. Not only do local fur sales bans end your community’s role in the fur industry, they can also support action at the state level. For example, California passed statewide legislation prohibiting the sale of new fur products in 2019 after four cities passed local fur sales ordinances.

If you are interested in working on a fur sales ordinance in your community, check out our fur ordinance toolkit and email furfree@humaneworld.org for bill language and guidance.

Ending fur factory farming

While the majority of fur factory farms are located overseas, primarily in Europe and China, these cruel facilities persist in the United States. Unfortunately, a lack of regulation and oversight of this industry means little is known about where fur factories are and how many animals remain in these facilities. Some states don’t even require a permit to operate a fur farm, and there are no federal regulations overseeing the care or humane slaughter of fur-farmed animals. There is little official data tracking fur factory farms in the U.S., with only a voluntary survey of mink fur production conducted every year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Even so, this survey indicates the U.S. mink fur industry in free-fall. Anecdotal claims suggest there are fewer than 100 mink fur farms remaining in the U.S., a steep decline from past decades, but it is entirely unknown how many fur farms exist for other species such as foxes, rabbits and chinchillas.

Humane World for Animals supports state legislation and regulation to end fur factory farming. At the federal level, we are supporting the Mink VIRUS Act to phase out mink fur factory farming.