Get The Facts:

1. More than 50 million animals are violently killed for use in fashion every year.

2. Methods used to kill animals for their fur include gassing, electrocution, and neck breaking. Fur-bearing animals are also caught and killed in barbaric body-gripping traps.
3. Neither fur nor fur trim is a byproduct of the meat industry. Rabbit fur is often falsely identified as a byproduct of meat production. The truth is, few rabbit skins are obtained from slaughterhouses, which more often dispose of the undesirable pelts of rabbits bred to make meat. Fur comes from animals who are factory-farmed or trapped purely for fashion.
4. The fur trim market is an equal, if not greater, threat to animals than is the making of fur coats. Fur trim is not what’s “left over” from making full-length fur coats. Thousands of animals are killed simply to provide trimming effects for fashion. Even purchasing the tiniest bit of fur trim supports the cruel fur industry.
5. Garment or accessory labels cannot always be relied upon to accurately identify the type of animal fur used in an item. API advises erring on the side of caution and compassion by not buying items that you cannot verify are fur-free.
6. Cat and dog fur can enter the U.S. market undetected and be sold as fur trim. While there is a ban on the import of domestic dog and cat fur in the U.S., the animal’s fur may be mislabeled or the item may be valued less than $150, and thus not be required to carry a label identifying the source of the fur.
7. Fur “farms” or “ranches” are not humane alternatives to trapping. The terms are euphemisms used by the fur industry to describe confinement facilities in which fur-bearing animals are caged and killed. Currently, there are no federal laws providing protection for the millions of animals held in these factory-like farms.
8. Seals are still being clubbed and brutally slain for their fur. The Canadian seal hunt is the world’s largest remaining commercial slaughter of marine mammal; close to a million harp seals were authorized to be killed between 2003 and 2005. The use of seal fur in fashion is a contributes to this massacre.
9. Although historically, the fur trade played a role in the development of the early North American economy, tradition never justifies abuse. There are many cultural practices once seen as acceptable that are now viewed as horrific relics of a more brutal time.
10. The fur industry is a threat to our environment and wildlife, contributing to higher energy costs, pollution, land destruction, and reductions in populations of wild animals, including endangered and threatened species who may be accidentally trapped and killed.

1. No commercial venture can survive without customers. This means that consumers have the power, through their purchasing decisions, to make a difference in the way companies — and even entire industries — conduct their business.

2. Animals are cruelly exploited in a variety of commercial ventures, including the entertainment; cosmetics, personal care, and household products; food; and fashion industries, as well as the pet trade.
3. In pet stores, animals must be viewed as commodities in order for the store to realize a profit. This means that animals are too often kept in inadequate conditions and denied needed medical care. (Learn more in Born Free united with API’s Little Shops of Sorrows campaign.)
4. Most animals sold in pet shops are not protected by the federal Animal Welfare Act. Some states have laws that address the care and treatment of animals kept in a retail environment, but these laws vary widely in quality and scope.
5. Countless animals are used every year to test consumer products ranging from lipstick to shaving cream to oven cleaner. But due to consumer demand for products not tested on animals, compassionate alternatives exist! Find out more »
6. Although many labels claim that products weren't tested on animals, such claims may be misleading. Learn what product labels really mean.
7. Europe is leading the way to ending the use of animals in cosmetic testing and banning the sale of cosmetics and similar products tested on animals. There is no excuse for other countries, including the United States, not to follow this compassionate example.
8. Every year, more than 40 million fur-bearing animals are violently killed in the name of "fashion." Consumers can make a difference by refusing to buy items containing fur or fur trim.
9. The fur industry works hard to disguise the true, cruel origin of its products by making fur look like anything other than what it truly is: dead animal parts. Learn how you can tell real fur from faux when shopping.
10. More than 10 billion land animals are slaughtered for human consumption in the U.S. each year. By making compassionate choices about what we eat, we can reduce animal suffering every day.

1. Approximately 63% of U.S. households — nearly 70 million homes — have at least one companion animal. The American Pet Products Manufacturers Association estimates that there are 43 million dogs, 37 million cats, 6 million birds, and 29 million other animals living in homes across the country.

2. Because irresponsible people accidentally or intentionally allow their animals to reproduce, about 10 million “excess” dogs and cats will be killed in shelters this year, while millions of homeless animals live short, hard, hungry lives on the streets, only to die miserably from disease, injury, or predation.
3. Always spay or neuter your companion animal to help reduce the tragic problem of overpopulation. Learn more about spaying and neutering companion animals.
4. Adopting a companion animal is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Anyone considering adopting a companion animal should seriously consider the lifelong commitment involved. Dogs may live 12-15 years and cats 15-18 years or more.
5. People who care about animals should never purchase a companion animal from a pet store or breeder. Always adopt from a shelter or rescue group, or take in an animal from someone unable to provide adequate care. Learn about the problems with pet shops that sell animals through API’s Little Shops of Sorrows campaign.
6. Even if you want a special breed of animal, always adopt rather than purchase. As many as a third of animals entering shelters are purebreds, and there are many purebred rescue groups, so there is a good chance you can get the animal you want and save a life at the same time.
7. Most dogs sold in pet stores, through multiple breed newspaper ads, or over the Internet come from “puppy mills,” where dogs are bred solely for profit, are kept in abhorrent conditions, and are frequently denied adequate veterinary care.
8. Many procedures routinely practiced on companion animals in the United States — including declawing, ear cropping, and tail docking — are cruel and unnecessary and are illegal in other countries. Learn more in A Rational Look at Declawing.
9. In some localities, animals who end up in shelters may be sold into research through a practice known as pound seizure.
10. Many commercial pet foods contain poor quality or potentially dangerous ingredients. Pet food provides a market for slaughterhouse offal, grains considered “unfit for human consumption,” and similar waste products. Learn more in Born Free USA united with API’s What’s Really in Pet Food report, and our guide to choosing a commercial pet food.

1. Millions of wild animals, including reptiles, large felines, nonhuman primates, and others, are kept in private possession in the U.S. The trade in exotic animals is a multi-billion-dollar-a-year industry.

2. Exotic “pets” are wild animals that do not adjust well to a captive environment. They require special care, housing, diet, and maintenance that the average person cannot provide.
3. It is estimated that between 5,000 and 7,000 tigers are kept as “pets” — more than exist in the wild. A tiger can be purchased for as little as $300, or less than the cost of a purebred dog.
4. Animals enter the exotic “pet” trade from a variety of sources. Some are stolen from their native habitat; some are “surplus” from zoos or menageries; some are sold at auctions or in pet shops; while others come from backyard breeders. The Internet has dramatically increased the ease with which people can find and purchase wild animals for their private possession.
5. Exotic “pets” purchased as infants are abandoned by their keepers as they age and become impossible to control. Sanctuaries cannot accommodate the large numbers of unwanted “pets.” As a result, the majority of these animals are euthanized, abandoned, or doomed to live in deplorable conditions.
6. Across the country, privately-held exotic animals held have escaped from their enclosures and have attacked humans and other animals — with sometimes fatal results.
7. Many exotic “pets” can transmit deadly diseases — including herpes B, monkeypox, and salmonellosis — to humans.
8. An estimated 90 percent of all reptiles carry and shed salmonella in their feces. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) estimates that 93,000 salmonella cases caused by exposure to reptiles are reported each year in the United States. As many as 90 percent of all macaque monkeys are infected with herpes B virus, which harmless to monkeys but often fatal in humans.
9. The American Veterinary Medical Association, the United States Department of Agriculture, and the CDC have all expressed opposition to the possession of certain exotic animals by individuals.
10. The sale and possession of exotic animals is regulated by a patchwork of federal, state and local laws that generally vary by community and by animal. Eighteen states prohibit possession of at least large cats, wolves, bears, nonhuman primates, and dangerous reptiles. Ten states have a partial ban, prohibiting possession of some exotic animals. Thirteen states require a license or permit to possess exotic animals. Many cities and counties have adopted ordinances that are more stringent than the state law.

When contacting public officials about legislation in your city, county, or state, in letters or calls, or at a public hearing, you may want to highlight these three reasons why they should institute and enforce a ban on possessing exotic animals as “pets”:

1. Public Safety

Across the country, many exotic animals privately held have escaped from their enclosures and freely roamed the community, and have attacked humans and other animals. Children and adults have been mauled by tigers, bitten by monkeys, and asphyxiated by snakes.

Monkeys are the most common nonhuman primates privately held. After the age of two, monkeys tend to exhibit unpredictable behavior. Males become aggressive, and both males and females bite to defend themselves and to establish dominance. Of monkey bites reported since 1990, many resulted in serious injury to the possessor, a neighbor, or a stranger on the street.

Non-domesticated felines, such as lions, tigers, leopards, cougars and ocelots, are commonly held as “pets.” These exotic animals are cute and cuddly when they are young but have the potential to seriously injure or kill people and other animals as they mature. Adult exotic felines weigh anywhere between 300 to 500 pounds depending on the species, and are incapable of being “domesticated.” Even an animal that appears to be friendly and loving can attack unsuspecting individuals.

Reptiles, including all types of snakes and lizards, pose safety risks to humans as well. There have been many reported incidents of escapes, strangulations, and bites from “pet” reptiles. Snakes are the most common “pet” reptiles and have the potential to inflict serious injury through a bite or constriction. According to the University of Florida, more than 7,000 venomous snake bites are reported annually in the United States (it is uncertain how many of these snakes are “pets”), 15 of which result in death.

With so many exotic animals in private hands, these incidents are not rare. By their very nature, exotic animals are dangerous creatures. Given the life these animals are forced to endure, it is no surprise that they exhibit their natural instincts to the detriment of the community. These animals are time bombs waiting to explode.

2. Public Health

Many exotic animals are carriers of zoonotic diseases, such as Herpes B, Monkey Pox, and Salmonellosis, all of which are communicable to humans.

Eighty to 90 percent of all macaque monkeys are infected with Herpes B-virus or Simian B, a virus that is harmless to monkeys but fatal to 70 percent of humans who contract it. Monkeys shed the virus intermittently in saliva or genital secretions, which generally occurs when the monkey is ill, under stress, or during breeding season. At any given time, about 2 percent of infected macaque monkeys are shedding the virus. A person who is bitten, scratched, sneezed on or spit on while shedding is occurring runs the risk of contracting the disease.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) asserts that the increase in macaque monkeys in the pet trade may constitute an emerging infectious disease threat in the United States. Thus, persons who possess or work with infected monkeys are presumed to be in constant peril of potentially contracting the virus. In addition, monkeys have been known to transmit the Ebola virus, Monkey Pox, and other deadly illnesses.

Ninety percent of all reptiles carry and shed Salmonella in their feces. Iguanas, snakes, lizards, and turtles are common carriers of the bacteria. Reptiles that carry salmonella do not show any symptoms, thus there is no simple way to tell which reptiles play host to the microbe and which do not, because even those that have it do not constantly shed the bacteria. Individuals become infected by ingesting salmonella after handling a reptile or objects the reptile contaminated, and then failing to wash their hands properly (this can be either indirect or direct contact with infected reptiles). The CDC recommends that children, people with compromised immune systems, and the elderly avoid all contact with reptiles and not possess them as “pets.”

Salmonellosis associated with exotic “pets” has been described as one of the most important public health diseases affecting more people and animals than any other single disease. The CDC estimates that 93,000 salmonella cases caused by exposure to reptiles are reported each year in the United States.

3. Animal Cruelty

When in the hands of private individuals, the animals themselves suffer. These animals do not adjust well to a captive environment, for they require special care, housing, diet and maintenance that the average person cannot provide. As a result, individuals possessing exotic animals often attempt to change the nature of the animal rather than the nature of the care provided.

Many possessors realize they can no longer care for an exotic “pet” so they turn to zoos and other institutions such as sanctuaries to take over the responsibility. However, all the zoos and accredited institutions could not possibly accommodate the number of unwanted exotic “pets.” As a result, the majority of these animals are either euthanized, abandoned, or doomed to live in deplorable conditions.

1. Trafficking in rare and exotic wildlife is a global business, worth $10-20 billion annually. Birds are among the most popular animals sought after for the exotic pet trade.

2. According to the Worldwatch Institute, nearly one-third of the globe’s parrot species are threatened with extinction due to pressures from the pet trade and from habitat destruction.
3. Since its passage by Congress in 1992, the Wild Bird Conservation Act has cut poaching rates from between an estimated 20-50%, proving that limits on legal trade can help struggling bird populations.
4. Despite claims about protecting endangered species, most birds in captive breeding programs are produced solely for commercial gain, and are not part of any official conservation program.
5. Breeding facilities often resemble nothing more than warehouses. “Breeder” birds are routinely placed with in small cages without any environmental enrichment.
6. Even when bred in captivity, birds should not be considered domesticated animals. They are wild creatures whose natural instincts remain intact — and frustrated — when kept captive.
7. Many people are unprepared to provide lifelong care for birds who, depending on species, can live for between 20 to 70 years. Many birds are neglected, relinquished to overcrowded shelters or sanctuaries, or are abandoned in the wild (where they are likely to perish).
8. The stress of confinement can lead birds to a variety of abnormal behaviors, including excessive screaming, feather plucking, self-mutilation, and other destructive habits.
9. Although birds are unsuitable companion animals, their popularity as “pets” has exploded in the past few decades. An extensive 1998 demographic study estimated that there were 35-40 million birds kept as “pets” in the U.S — an increase of more than 250% from 1990.
10. Replacing the demand for birds as “pets” with a demand for preserving birds in the wild will reduce welfare problems associated with captivity while increasing the support of genuinely effective conservation efforts.

1. Captive exotic animals are abused and exploited in a variety of settings, including research and product testing, the entertainment industry, fur farms, and the exotic “pet” trade.

2. Keeping wild animals in captivity is inherently cruel, as it deprives them of the ability to freely engage in instinctual behaviors in their natural environment.
3. Even when bred in captivity, exotic animals retain all of their natural instincts. They cannot be considered “domesticated” or “tamed.”
4. Every year, captive exotic animals are involved in incidents in which humans are injured or even killed.
5. Although many industries using captive exotic animals claim to be aiding in conservation, very few captive breeding programs actually address the real threats facing imperiled animals in the wild, such as habitat destruction.
6. The demand for wild animals as “pets” or for use in entertainment harms populations of these animals in the wild by increasing the likelihood of poaching and wild capture.
7. Whether in the zoo or the circus, wild animals produced in captive breeding programs are almost never released into the wild; instead, they are doomed to a life in captivity
8. It’s a myth that public display of wild animals is necessary to engage people. Many wild animals, including several whale and sea turtle species, enjoy a high degree of public interest and concern despite having never been kept in captivity and put on public display. And many children develop a keen interest in dinosaurs despite having never seen one in the wild.
9. Industries using captive exotic animals also claim that they have educational value — but what they really teach is that it is acceptable to use animals for human amusement. And since captive wild animals often exhibit abnormal behaviors due to captivity-induced stress, they fail to teach audiences about the real nature of wild animals.
10. Industries that use captive wild animals, such as the circus, frequently engage in abusive training methods, such as the use of hooks, chains, whips, electric prods, and blunt instruments.

1. The use of animals as “entertainers” removes animals from their natural habitat; deprives them of the ability to freely engage in instinctual behaviors; often involves cruel training methods; desensitizes both children and adults to animal mistreatment; and does not adequately address the real conservation threats that face animals in the wild.

2. There is minimal state and federal protection for animals used in entertainment. Many of the animals used for human amusement are not even covered by the federal Animal Welfare Act.
3. While zoos and aquariums may appear to be educational and conservation-oriented, most are designed with the needs and desires of the visitors in mind, not the needs of the animals. Many animals in zoos and aquariums exhibit abnormal behavior as a result of being deprived of their natural environments and social structures.
4. Some zoos and aquariums do rescue some animals and work to save endangered species, but most animals in zoos were either captured from the wild or bred in captivity for the purpose of public display, not species protection.
5. The vast majority of captive-bred animals will never be returned to the wild. When a facility breeds too many animals they become “surplus” and often are sold to laboratories, traveling shows, canned hunting facilities, or to private individuals who may be unqualified to care for them.
6. Horses and cows used in rodeos are abused with electrical prods, sharp spurs, and “bucking straps” that pinch their sensitive flank area. During bucking events, horses and bulls may suffer broken legs or run into the sides of the arena, causing serious injury and even death.
7. During calf-roping events in rodeos, a calf may reach a running speed of 27 miles per hour before being jerked by the neck to an abrupt stop by a lasso. This event has resulted in punctured lungs, internal hemorrhaging, paralysis, and broken necks.
8. Once greyhounds begin their racing careers, they are kept in cages for more than 20 hours a day. The cages are made of wire and are barely big enough for the dogs to turn around. Dogs who are considered too slow to race are often sold to research facilities or killed About 20,000 are killed each year; very few are adopted.
9. Horses used in racing are bred for one purpose: to make money. Because of this motive, horses are often forced to run even when injured. More racehorses are bred than can prove profitable on the racetrack. As a result, hundreds of racehorses are sent to slaughter every year.
10. During a typical cockfighting tournament, one-third to one-half of the birds are killed. Winners as well as losers suffer severe injuries including broken wings, punctured lungs, and gouged eyes.