Real animal fur is becoming increasingly out-of-style within the fashion industry. More and more people are straying away from the inhumane trade, and some cities, countries, and companies have placed bans on fur in recent years.
In another blow to the fur industry, the world’s largest fur auction house says it will close its doors for good within the next three years.
The auction house, Kopenhagen Fur, was founded in 1930 and acts as a broker for fur pelts produced in Denmark. Steep drops in pelt prices and stockpiles being left unsold at fur auctions have made the industry unprofitable.
As reported by the Humane Society, the announcement comes on the heels of rising coronavirus infections reported among mink in a number of countries, including Denmark, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and the United States. This next statement is gut-wrenching to read, but Denmark said it would slaughter all 15 million mink on its 1,000 mink fur farms in the country following concerns that a mutation in the virus that has infected the mink could possibly interfere with the effectiveness of a vaccine for humans.
The fact of the matter is that with realistic, manmade alternatives to fur easily available, it no longer makes any sense to use so many resources to raise animals that will only be killed for their fur. It’s inhumane for animals and a burden for our planet. Hopefully the closing of the world’s biggest auction house for fur signals the end is near for this outdated industry.