L.A. City Council Bans the Sale of Fur

L.A. City Council Votes Unanimously to Ban the Sale of Fur

In a milestone victory for animal rights activists around the world, Los Angeles is now the largest city in the U.S. to ban the sale of fur.

The new ordinance, backed today by the City Council, as reported by the LA Times. The Tuesday vote was not unanimous, so the law will come back to the council for a procedural vote before going to Mayor Eric Garcetti for his signature. Greig Smith was the sole councilmember who voted against the law.

“Los Angeles has taken an ethical and moral stand that cruelty to animals is not acceptable,” Marc Ching, founder and CEO of the Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation, said in a statement. “The fur ban is not just about creating an awareness about animal welfare – it is about creating a more humane community, about being in line with this city’s values.”

The motion was first introduced by Councilmember Bob Blumenfield, co-presented by Councilmember Paul Koretz and seconded by Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell. The ban will go into effect in 2021, and it will prohibit the sale of apparel and accessories made in whole or in part of fur, including coats, handbags, shoes, hats, and jewelry. Exemptions include used fur at secondhand shops and animal pelts preserved through taxidermy. The city will also not prohibit fur obtained legally through a trapping license.

“It’s 2018 – there’s no excuse for being complicit in this inhumane and unnecessary trade,” said Councilman Blumenfield. “With this vote we are telling the world that Angelenos care about animal welfare. Thanks to Councilmember Paul Koretz and Marc Ching from Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation for partnering in this effort and helping galvanize so many voices. We will continue to be a leader in animal welfare efforts and must work with other cities and states until this vile practice is ended across our nation.”

Los Angeles is the largest city in the U.S. to ban fur, but not the first in California. Earlier this year San Francisco banned fur. Berkeley and West Hollywood also have bans in place. The state, known for its left-leaning policies — Californians will get to vote on the most aggressive animal welfare laws in the country this November — joins the fur-free trend in Europe that now has ten countries with fur bans including Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Luxembourg and the UK.

A growing number of designers are moving away from fur as well, including Versace, Tom Ford, Gucci, and Donna Karan. Vegan fashion designer Stella McCartney just recently released “fur-free fur” as part of her fall/winter collection.