Victory! West Hollywood Goes Fur Free!
September 20th, 2011 | 
Author: 
Activists at last year's Fur Free Friday!
Last night the City Council of West Hollywood passed a historic ordinance unanimously prohibiting the sale of fur apparel products within the city! This great success culminated after months of canvassing and rallies spearheaded by the Fur-Free West Hollywood Campaign made up of activists from In Defense of Animals, Last Chance for Animals, Animal Alliance, PETA, OCPA, ARME, APRL and many hard-working individuals, most notably Ellen Lavinthal, Ed Bucks, Shannon Keith and Bryan Monell. Several stores in West Hollywood had voluntarily removed fur items from their stores prior to the City Council’s actions.
In 1989, West Hollywood passed resolution number 558 proclaiming West Hollywood a “cruelty free zone for animals”. Since that time West Hollywood has passed legislation banning the declawing of cats, prohibiting pet stores from selling puppy mill animals and resolutions banning cosmetic testing on animals and steel-jaw leg hold traps. In February of 2001 they adopted IDA’s guardian language which substitutes the word “guardian” for “owner“ in all discourse.
West Hollywood is the first city in the United States banning the cruel commerce of fur. It is a remarkable historic victory.
Want to help animals killed for their fur in your city? Click here for some ideas on what you can do!
This year’s Fur Free Friday is right around the corner. Click here to see what activists from around the world did last year and start planning your own events soon… more details on that coming soon!
Posted in Fur | 
Tags: California, Days of Action, Demonstrations, Fur Free Friday, Government, Guardian, Hollywood, Legal, Los Angeles, West Hollywood
59 Responses to “Victory! West Hollywood Goes Fur Free!”
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So proud of West Hollywood. I support your decision by shopping in W. H. and urging my friends to do so too.
This is the best news i have have had this whole year. Thank you so very much for what you have done. Now a lot less animals will be tortured to death. Now we need to see the same thing done all over the world
To clarify – the council meeting was timely, but the fur-free issue wasn’t addressed until the latter part of it, well after 10 p.m. Our hats off to those in attendance who gave of their time and show of support!
Hooray for Hollywood.What a great accomplishment.Hopefully others will follow.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH BY ALL RIGHT ANIMALS ACTIVIST ITALIANS
I’m moving to California from N. Carolina in 2 months. It is so amazing and exciting to see how much we can improve animal rights & welfare!
California leads the way in protecting animals. Wake up America!
That’s great but! Fur should be banned all over!
This has to stop!!
This is so wonderful to hear and it so wonderful so many people stepped up to protect these innocent wonderful animals we don’t have a right to kill innocent animals because we want to look fashionable.
Thank you one and all that stepped up to the plate and did the right thing.
Fantastic! Now, for an encore, can you also ban the sale of leather?
Congratulations West Hollywood! Way to go. You just helped this country gain a bit more humanity.
Gracias a esa hermosa gente y sus gestiones para lograr esta victoria, ojalá la humanidad entera haría conciencia respecto al tormento, dolor y sufrimiento al cual son sometidos los pobres animales en la industria peletera. Esta sangrienta industria está manchada de sangre inocente y maldad…debe terminar ahora en todo el mundo. Lo demás países, Estados, Ciudades, etc, deberian tomar el ejemplo de las autoridades de esta localidad y copiar ese ejemplo de valor moral y compasión para los sin voz.
This is wonderful news. This needs to go nationwide in every state and country.
PETA is a joke, why any body listens to them is beyond me. they are full of hypocrites. They /stage/ videos of animals getting beaten and abused. They kill more animals that could easily find homes than shelters. They also believe that everyone (including pets) should be vegans, and all pets should be released out into the wild. They fund home-grown terrorists that blow up medical testing facilities…I’m sure I’m missing other things they do, but why anyone would happily put that they support PETA or that PETA has done good… is beyond me.
Now on to fur:
Also, maybe some of you don’t know where most fur comes from. They come from fur farms, now if you are in a business of selling quality pelts, the animals would be given a good quality food, and they wouldn’t be abused, because a quality pelt can’t be gotten from a beat animal. Also most places that I have researched or heard about gas the animals and it is a quick painless death, that they don’t see coming. Is fur trapping still big in the US? I haven’t heard much about it but I know fur farms are… and they are humane, they aren’t taken from the wild they are bred to be fur animals, and then their bodies are donated. One Mink farm actually donated the bodies of their minks to my school so we could direct them for A&P, I have to say those minks were well taken care of, they had plenty of fat and muscle on their bones, none had signs of abuse )aka no muscle bruising or broken bones)
Everything that Hollywood has banned I agree with, fur though… just makes me laugh.
This is absolutely awesome….one resolution at a time sends such a strong message. Maybe West Hollywood could be the first to create and adopt animal breeding regulations. What a concept that would be to actually regulate something that is out of control.
Congratulations from Barcelona, Spain! I lived 7 years in West Hollywood and now I’m really proud that it was my home for all those years! This is just the beginning of the end! Thank you for being the ones satting an example.
I could not believe what I was reading when I saw this!!! I can’t find words to describe how wonderful this is. I am crying as I type this because I am so overwhelmed with emotions. And who would have thought it would be Hollywood?!! God Bless all the folks who put their time, energy & resources into making this happen and God Bless the lawmakers who did the right thing!!! I hope the lawmakers will not be forgotten when election time comes around!!! This gives me hope and impetus to get out there and make more good happen!!! I will be handing out 100 vegan leaflets tomorrow in honor of all who made this happen. I will not stop until 100 are given out!!! The biggest thank you to all who made it happen. The animals who will not be imprisoned & murdered to have stolen from them the most precious gift God gave them, their very bodies, thank you also I’m sure.
This is what makes animal activists proud and happy! This is why we fight day and night all over the world! A huge thanks to all of you who stood up there to be the voice of the voiceless! Thank you on behalf of all animals! Namasté….
This is very good news and should now go WORLD WIDE. No human has the right to take an animals skin its disgusting. I long to live in an animal cruelty free world.
I NEVER EVER WEAR FUR ON MY LIVE I PROMISE THE ANIMALS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
YAA HOO!!!! Wish everyone would do the same……..maybe the manufacturers would STOP using fur if it couldn’t be sold anywhere!!!
it is very seldom that we animal lovers get to hear positive news.this a great feat. a triumph for the precious animals.signing petitions,voicing our outrage,campaigning and demonstrating have paid off big time. thank you l.a.and thnx to all those who made this happen!! debbie bell,ft.worth,tx.
OMG – I want to live there. BIG CONGRATULATIONS and THANKS to all who made this historic ordinance possible. You are truly people of ethics and conscience.
A Grandmother in Vermont
Well it’s about time and thank God! This entire country should be fur free! If the “HEARTLESS” won’t stop buying real fur, then it should be hard for them to get it. I wouldn’t even wear fake fur (and there are some gorgeous fakes out there) just because of the stigma attached to real fur. The best fur is on the animal…..where it should remain.
I want to live in West Hollywood! If only the entire planet would stop harming life, we could all relax.
I am so happy! Now let’s close all fur factories & save God’s creature’s from evil’s profit from their fur!
Right on! Let’s keep the movement going and become fur-free nationally! Congratulations to all involved!
no animal! or bird, or turtle or another creature should have to suffer a horrible death for its fur, tooth, hide, horn or other body parts to profit mans wealth or ego! I would that all the world would respect all life and hold each life as priceless and worth compassion & care. Thank you West Hollywood for setting a pace for others to follow. The Asian countries are the worst to mistreat animals in horrific ways How I wish we could show the world to hold China, Korea, Philippians, Veit Nam and all such cruel Asian countries their wicked methods they use on dogs cats and other animals. They are so barbaric, savage and heartless monsters! No sense of compassion to the animals they torture and kill so as to eat their dead bodies. I hate Asian countries.
I am so proud to see a city do this!! Thank you to those who stood up for our precious animals – cruelty-free is the way to go! God Bless West Hollywood!
Animals have brains but no understanding of knowledge, Humans have knowledge but no brains, if they (Humans) did have brains they would not do all the horrible things that they do!
Wonderful news! I hope Canadian cities follow suit as fur is still a big problem here.
GREAT NEWS !!!
I was SO happy to read this, thank you West Hollywood for doing the right thing and for being a leader! I hope now that everywhere else follows.
You are role models for other city councils in what is possible when council members are compassionate and do the right thing! Thank you!!!
Perhaps Australian cities/towns may feel shame after reading West Hollywood goes fur free and change their ways too. But they have to read about it so please someone with the right contacts, get this on the news broadcast and as headlines in world papers. Congratulations to our wonderful campaigners. Magda
I heard the council meeting didn’t take place until after 10:00 p.m. – and the supporters were asked to show up at 6:30 pm. Thanks so much to all the supporters who took their time out for this very important event! So much appreciated!
Thank You
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Thank You…. Thank You!!!!
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It is a wonderful step towards success to all animal safety, support and rights
This is AMAZING! Finally an elected body that has the guts to hold society to a high moral and ethical standard in regards to animals. Far too much cruelty is allowed under the name of *freedom.* What about the right of animal’s to live free from the whims of heartless humans. It makes no sense that society has the right to destroy animals for profit, but can be cited for destroying animals for malicious purposes.
A new Pro Bass Shop just opened in my area, a perfect example of a profit-driven business promoting killing of animals as a fun, joyful, relaxing and entertaining activity–unbelievable! The sign of a society living their indoctrination–just a bunch of sheeple.
Wow, this is spectacular news! I wish the same could be said for the entire country! No human should ever wear the fur of a living creature for the sake of vanity or status.
thanks for the smiles
Bravo California, well done USA.
So good to hear this wonderful news!!!!
This just made my day!!!! There is still so much work to be done,and maybe one day,our beloved animals will no longer suffer at the hands of humans!!!!!
It does my heart good to hear this incredible news!! I travel to Los Angeles often and spend lots of time in the Hollywood area. This will make my visits to Hollywood much more meaningful. This is a remarkable victory. God bless West Hollywood.
Thanks god!!!!
a small battle won in this huge war to impede the cruelty on the animals.
This is a real big hope for the future, that for me means that people are maybe understanding and realising more than they thought so, they are finally opening they eyes and heart.
We have to never forget that animals have been created, as us, by the same god and there is a reason why they are living on this planet with us as well.
We need to give them respect as they do with us.
HOPE FOR THE FUTUR OF THIS PLANET.
Thanks god
It’s wonderful to hear some good news. I only hope no one can overturn this decision!
This has made me smile, I’m so proud of west Hollywood, let’s hope everyone will follow suit.
I agree Kelly…at least we won something even if for one day…It’s a start and hopefully others will follow if we add another day…
Yes Kelly I totally agree with you.