Fur Flies Over Proposed Legislative Ban Over Products in NYC

The fur is flying – figuratively – in New York, as lawmakers say they want to ban fur.

Politicians are backing a bill to outlaw the sale of all new fur products in the city. Fur industry representatives warn that such a law might put 1,100 people out of a job in the Big Apple.

“Cruelty should not be confused with economic development,” said state Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal, a Democrat from Manhattan, who is sponsoring the state legislation, in a statement. “Fur relies on violence to innocent animals. That should be no one’s business.”

If passed, Crain’s New York Business points out, New York would become the third major American city with such a ban, “following San Francisco, where a ban takes effect this year, and Los Angeles, where a ban passed this year will take effect in 2021.”

At the height of the fur business in the last century, New York City manufactured 80% of the fur coats made in the U.S, according to FUR NYC, a group representing 130 retailers and manufacturers in the city.

“Everyone is watching this,” Nancy Daigneault, vice president at the International Fur Federation, an industry group based in London, told Crain’s. “If it starts here with fur, it’s going to go to wool, to leather, to meat.”

Rosenthal, a Manhattan Democrat, appears to be trying to establish her brand. In March, she and State Senator Michael Gianaris announced the introduction of legislation to prohibit the sale of dogs, cats and rabbits in pet stores across New York State. The legislation would instead allow pet stores to make space available to shelters and rescues to display (feature) animals that are available for adoption.

“We must end the pet mill-to pet store pipeline,” said Rosenthal. “There is absolutely no reason that anyone should spend thousands of dollars on an often-unhealthy pet that was bred in abject horror when shelters and rescues statewide are bursting at the seams with healthy and innocent animals in need of “fur-ever” homes. Ending the demand for pet store animals will help to end the pet mill industry that supplies the stores.”

For years, “the USDA was not doing its job, but now under Trump, whose family has a well-documented legacy of violence toward animals, the agency has seemingly abandoned altogether the animals it is required by federal law to protect. As with all else, it is vital that states like New York step up to take action to protect animals and unsuspecting consumers,” said Rosenthal.

“With so many good animals in need of homes, there is no need for puppy mills to supply pet stores,” added Senate Deputy Leader Michael Gianaris. “Our four-legged companions should be treated with respect, not like commodities.”