California enacts major restriction on fur sales

Retailers and consumers of fur in the Golden State will have a much smaller product assortment. 

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Assembly Bill 44, the California State Fur Ban, into law. The law outlaws the sale and manufacture of new items made from fur animals including, mink, rabbit, and coyote. There are exceptions for used fur garments, fur that is used for religious purposes, leather products, deerskin, sheepskin, and goatskin.

The bill was introduced following sales bans in the California cities of West Hollywood, Berkeley, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. The West Hollywood, Berkeley, and San Francisco bans have gone into effect and the Los Angeles law will go into effect January 2021. The statewide bill provides a phase-out period for retailers and manufacturers and will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023.

Bill supports say coyotes, chinchillas, foxes, mink, rabbits, and other fur-bearing animals are subjected to unregulated killing methods, such as being gassed, electrocuted, or having their necks broken. In addition, proponents say furs from dogs, cats, raccoons, rodents and other animals are often undisclosed or intentionally mislabeled by manufacturers, and fur products are often preserved with carcinogenic chemicals.

“There is no humane way to skin an animal for their fur. And absolutely no reason for an animal to suffer so horribly for the sake of fashion,” said Marc Ching, president of Animal Hope in Legislation. “The passage of this landmark piece of legislation shows that as a society we are progressing towards a more compassionate future.”

Public supporters of the bill have included retailers such as Hugo Boss, H&M, Zara, and Diane Von Fustenberg.