What to do with inherited fur coats

[Superflor]

Firstly, they're not mine (thank God) but a friend's whose grandma left them to her. I said about donating to a charity shop but I suppose that would keep them in circulation. How long do these things last for??

I read on here about people's views on 2nd hand leather shoes and other non vegan clothing and people seemed split between not wanting to waste reources (her feeling as they're expensive plus I think she doesn't want to disrespect her gran's memory- I know I know what about disrespecting the poor souls who were murdered to make it...) and then those who didn't want to advertise the fur industry further. I even said maybe donating to animal shelters (even though that could be a bit sick if you believe in the coats holding the energy of the torture and massacre- which i do). I was just thinking of keeping say some newborn pups warm or something but that could be well-inappropriate.

I read also about PETA donating fur coats to homeless folk but that had mixed reviews and mixed messages about status and wealth etc.

My last suggestion was to bury them and have a funeral service for them (kinda could be dedicated to her gran's memory also).

Any suggestions I can relay to her, please? She has been wondering about this and other vegan topics for 12 years and seems to have just been waiting for serious answers which I hope I'm now supplying her with.
Thanks.

[JP]

many good ideas there.

AR groups use them for props in street theatre and stuff, maybe there is one avenue there. Then it would be put in good use.

Shelters are a good one too, but i heard not many use them that way anyway.

I wouldnt donate it to a second hand shop though...

Rationally thinking its same than 2nd hand leather - we have just made such a big deal out of it in AR movement that it feels way worse.

[Konstantin]

Urg.

I would contact one of the national organisations and ask what they think - maybe Animal Aid.

[Superflor]

K, thanks. I just contacted Animal Aid. See what they say.

[Goob]

I would bury them. Definitely don't want someone to wear it. Leather and fur clothing is pretty disturbing, so don't want to pretend like it's okay.

EDIT: also disturbing, an ad for marmot coats at the bottom of this thread

[muchluv]

I thought I had read that PETA use them in their shelters? I think that's a good route, personally.

I have a leather wallet I received years ago as a gift, unused I think. Have thought I will sell that and give the proceeds to an animal charity. Perhaps not the same thing with fur coats though.

[beforewisdom]

and then those who didn't want to advertise the fur industry further.

I've thought about similar ideas, but I could apply the same rule to faux leather jackets, faux meat and probably even veggie burgers. All of those things, by imitating animal products implicitly advertise those animals products as being something desirable......why imitate them otherwise?

I like all of those things, there is no such thing as perfection, so I abandoned that line of thinking.

[Superflor]

Got this answer back from Animal Aid: "...I would suggest contacting local animal shelters to see if they could use them, or perhaps offer them to groups that campaign on fur who may want to use them for demonstrations (eg. Caft). Another option is to give them to a homeless charity, as Peta do."

[JP]

homeless charity is a silly idea.

dont understand where that comes from!?!?

maybe from the idea that homeless people cant have opinions about animals and so on...

there are homeless vegetarians too, even heroin using homeless vegans.

I really wouldnt do that homeless charity thing with fur coats, maybe i am missing a point...

[soniczip]

homeless charity is a silly idea.

dont understand where that comes from!?!?

maybe from the idea that homeless people cant have opinions about animals and so on...

there are homeless vegetarians too, even heroin using homeless vegans.

I really wouldnt do that homeless charity thing with fur coats, maybe i am missing a point...

i think within a large group of people in need (of food, shelter, clothes, etc...) there will be some accepting non vegan clothes. there surely could be vegans among them, or people who don't want to exploit animals in any way. but veganism is an option not everybody can consider.

[beforewisdom]

As far as the charity route goes it might be more useful to sell the coat privately and then donate the money to charity ( while slipping some anti-fur lit into the pockets of the coat ).

[xrodolfox]

This is quite the interesting thread.

I personally would not sell/donate the furs to be used as coats rather than given to an organization that can directly use the animal skins for the purpose of animal liberation. I think that selling or donating the coats to be used as coats perpetuates the idea that animal skins exist for human use. Taking the furs out of the economy is the best way to go, IMO.

[beforewisdom]

I have never witness anyone saying out loud:

"Hmm, this store is selling a fur or leather clothing item. I guess that means they think it is good okay to hurt animals for clothing. They're opinion is good enough for me"

In terms of actually introducing someone to a new idea, the best route might be sell a fur coat through a classified ad at on obviously low price. Then, when they ask why so cheap, explain to them the vegan ethic and how because of that you don't want the coat.

[xrodolfox]

I have never witness anyone saying out loud:
"Hmm, this store is selling a fur or leather clothing item. I guess that means they think it is good okay to hurt animals for clothing. They're opinion is good enough for me"

In terms of actually introducing someone to a new idea, the best route might be sell a fur coat through a classified ad at on obviously low price. Then, when they ask why so cheap, explain to them the vegan ethic and how because of that you don't want the coat.

Interaction is much better than not having that interaction... that's why economists argue that having market relations between nations lessens the likelihood of war between those states.

However, I said that *I* couldn't sell animal products. I *THINK* (I do not know absolutely), that selling animal products perpetuates the idea that the animals exist for human consumption. By participating in the economy of animal skin, even at the extreme end of "dumpstering" animal skin, or giving it away for someone in "need" of animal skin is part of a dialogue.

I don't *think* that it is unethical to give away (or sell) those animal furs. I just know that *I* wouldn't want to be part of that exchange or dialogue. I would not like it personally. It clearly is in a grey area. Clearly, no one is actually going to say, "Hmm... this free fur coat from a vegan must mean that animals aren't needed for humans! How can I go vegan!" Clearly no one is going to say the opposite either: "Hmmm. Giving away a fur coat means that humans should use animals as they wish."

I think that it is possible to engage in a dialogue that's constructive without resorting to making the fur coat a part of an economic interaction. I think it is highly unlikely that selling a fur coat for pennies on the dime and then proselytizing will change minds. I highly doubt that giving fur coats to the homeless will change much (not to mention if I was in need I would really dislike getting a fur coat not just because it isn't vegan, but because of what a fur coat means in terms of class).

To be honest, part of my disdain for giving things to charities is because of my experience with the "non-profit industry", and how charities are often designed to perpetuate problems in the long term (such as homelessness, etc.) rather than really ending the problems. I've had to fight charities when fighting societal problems and I've witnessed charities standing in the way rather than helping. I frankly have misgivings about giving to charities, but not to activist organizations. That's my personal qualm and experience, and that's likely why I also wouldn't feel good about giving coats to a charity, or giving those coats away, or donating them to be used. I would feel sad if I knew those coats were used to make ending animal exploitation just a that bit harder.

[Superflor]

Thanks everyone for your ideas and dialogue here.

Just to reiterate, these are my non-vegan, non-animal activist friend's coats who lives in a different country to me. I might be wrong but I can't see her engaging in dialogue about the coats with whomever she ends up giving them to. She just wants a suitable plan to get rid, I think.