Photo from Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation
This week, the Los Angeles Animal Welfare Committee voted unanimously to support a measure that would ban the sale of fur in the city.
The bill will now be presented to the full City Council which will decide if an ordinance outlining the ban should be drafted by the city attorney’s office. Once drafted, the measure would then move to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti’s desk for approval.
According to Animal Hope and Wellness Foundation, which sponsored the measure, Councilmember Bob Blumenfield introduced the plan to ban the manufacture and sale of fur products throughout Los Angeles on June 8th.
The motion, co-presented by Councilmember Paul Koretz and seconded by Councilmember Mitch O’Farrell, would take effect in January of 2020 and would specifically prohibit the sale of products such as apparel made in whole or in part of fur or any fashion accessory, such as handbags, shoes, hats, earmuffs, and jewelry.
“It is time to move past the archaic practice of killing animals for goods,” Councilmember Blumenfield said at the time. “Los Angeles must be a leader in this effort to stop the unnecessary killing of animals and finally eliminate this vile market.”
An amendment to the motion was made during this week’s hearing instructing the city attorney to consider potential exemptions, “including furs of animals trapped by California Fish and Game license holders and fur items worn or used for religious purposes, such as fur hats worn by Hasidic Jews on a variety of religious occasions.”
During the meeting, Councilmember Paul Koretz called “fur” inhumane. He further shared that with Los Angeles being the fashion and glamour center that it is, he believes “what happens here will set the tone for the rest of the country.”
