In nature, rabbits are joyful and curious. Foxes are attentive and devoted parents who share the responsibility of raising their pups. Minks are skilled climbers and swimmers who enjoy their personal space, typically remaining solitary and discreet.
In the fur industry, these animals spend their entire lives inside cramped cages — frantically pacing back and forth, gnawing on the bars and mutilating themselves. Eventually, they are killed in the cheapest, cruelest ways: suffocation, gassing, poisoning or neck-breaking — often while still conscious.
Taiwan takes pride in its values of progress, ethics and compassion — ideals that shape its national identity. This is a nation that values integrity and protects the vulnerable.
However, the fur trade betrays those ideals. Selling fashion made from abused animals is neither ethical nor compassionate. It tarnishes Taiwan’s modern image with a relic of cruelty that belongs in the past.
Taiwanese fast-fashion brand iROO — which operates about 80 retail stores across the country — sells garments made from the skins of sensitive, sentient beings. For every iROO product that harms animals, there is always a kinder option.
While iROO just earned People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals’ (PETA) Cold-Hearted Company Award for its shameful product line, leading brands are heading in the right direction. Retailers and designers such as Zara, Prada, Mango, Versace, Michael Kors, Gucci, Calvin Klein, Burberry and Gap have stopped selling fur altogether, joining the growing movement toward state-of-the-art, animal-friendly fashion.
Exploiting animals for their skin is not just cruel — it is environmentally destructive. Furs are loaded with chemicals to keep them from decomposing in closets, and fur production pollutes the planet and consumes excessive resources. Making a fur coat from animals raised on fur farms takes more than 15 times as much energy as does producing a faux-fur one.
Sustainable, innovative vegan materials are already available throughout the country — and they are beautiful, durable and humane.
Every time you choose decency over cruelty, companies notice. Contact iROO, express your concerns and let your wallet speak. The most effective protest is also the simplest: shop elsewhere.
Taiwanese value decency — and decency never goes out of style. Let us move Taiwan style forward and leave fur behind for good.
Jason Baker is PETA Asia’s senior vice president.
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