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FUR
How fur products impact animals
"The relationship between humans and rabbits is complex and contradictory. Some rabbits, we love and care for in our homes, while others are hunted, poisoned, trapped, tested on, skinned for clothing and accessories, and slaughtered for human consumption." - Animal Liberation
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Angora rabbits' coat grows continuously throughout their life. As such, they are the only breed whose fur is suitable for spinning, and because of this, they are the species most commonly farmed for fur. Angora rabbits are farmed for their fur on intensive farms, with rabbits confined to tiny wire cages. China is the dominant producer of Angora fur from rabbits worldwide. Clothes containing fur and Angora sold in Australia either come from animals bred in Australia or overseas.
Fast Facts


SHORT LIFE OF SUFFERING
LIVES CUT UNNATURALLY SHORT
Imagine living your life in a space no larger than a sheet of paper. This is the grim reality for rabbits on fur farms in Australia and beyond, where outdated welfare standards turn a blind eye to their suffering. Instead of leaping, burrowing, and socializing, these rabbits endure physical and emotional agony in cramped wire cages that injure their delicate paws.
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Eye-opening investigations have revealed shocking conditions: open wounds, severe head tilts, and facial injuries are all too common. But it gets worse. In some international farms, Angora rabbits—the source of 90% of global Angora sales—face the horror of having their fur ripped out while fully conscious and immobilized.
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While rabbits can live up to 14 years, fur farming cuts their lives tragically short, often ending them at just 12 weeks. And in some places like China, the suffering is prolonged as they're repeatedly plucked for two years.


Same Animal/Different Protection status
SUBJECTIVE LABELS IMPACT ANTI CRUELTY PROTECTION
Rabbits highlight the subjectivity and human-centric nature of how we classify animals and how it impacts them. The same rabbit, with the same capacity to experience joy, fear, and feel pain could be treated in many different ways, all due to how humans classify them:
If a rabbit is kept as a pet, they are protected by anti-cruelty laws.
If a rabbit exists in the wild, they are considered pests, and can be hunted or poisoned, dying agonising deaths.
As farmed animals, rabbits endure intense confinement and cruel practices without pain relief.
Solitary Confinement
SOCIAL ANIMALS FORCED TO LIVE LIVES OF ISOLATION
Rabbits are social and intelligent creatures that thrive in communities, often forming warrens with up to 20 members. Yet in Australia, these loving animals face a bleak existence when farmed for meat and fur.
Much like the cramped cages used in the egg industry, rabbits are confined in wire-floored enclosures suspended above the ground. The limited space they're given is roughly the size of an A4 sheet of paper.
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Just as heartbreaking is the isolation faced by breeding rabbits. Despite their natural need for companionship, these Does and Bucks are kept alone in cages. This is incredibly distressing for these animals, who value companionship as highly as food.


Distress & Boredom
DENIED THE ABILITY TO EXPRESS NAUTRAL BEHAVIOURS
The cages farmed rabbits are housed in deny them the ability to express their natural behaviours, such as foraging, exploring, sunbathing, digging, hopping and jumping, nest building, and socialising.
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In the wild, rabbits spend up to 80% of their day foraging for food with their burrow mates. As prey animals, burrowing and hiding are important for their mental well-being.
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The barren cages can lead to distress and boredom. Farmed rabbits commonly display these signs of distress, such as:
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Excessive grooming
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Repetitive behaviours (pawing at the corners of cages, wire-biting etc)
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Aggression towards other rabbits and people and
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Phobic behaviours
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The isolation worsens these conditions for the does and bucks who are routinely housed alone.
Brutal Slaughter
HORRIFIC END TO SHORT LIFE OF SUFFERING
In Australia, regulations governing rabbit farming are shockingly limited. The lone code of practice for intensive rabbit farming isn't even enforced in many states. Because they're categorized as livestock, rabbits don't receive the protection of anti-cruelty laws.
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In New South Wales, the laws governing rabbit slaughter are purely about hygiene and food safety, with no mention of humane treatment or welfare. Across Australia, there are four common, legal methods for killing farmed rabbits, including decapitation, cervical dislocation, blunt force with a metal pipe, or letting them 'bleed out' while hung upside down.
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For those farmed for their fur, electrocution is often used to keep the pelt intact. Angora rabbits in China face an even grimmer fate: they're typically plucked alive and killed either by a blade or by bleeding out


Iconic Hats support suffering
RABBIT SKINS SOURCED FROM FACTORY FARMS
Akubra is an iconic Australian brand that makes hats. The hats are made using rabbit skins, each requiring an average of 12-14 rabbit skins. Some of these skins are sourced from wild-hunted rabbits and intensive meat rabbit farms in Australia, with the rest from Belgium, France and Ukraine.
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Products for which at least half of the cost can be attributed to Australian materials or production processes can be labelled as Australian Made, thus Akubra can legally sell their hats under this label.
Fur free
Wear it kind
Fur in fashion is both unnecessary and unfair, especially when there are ethical and environmentally-friendly alternatives at our fingertips.
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While regular faux fur is considered better for the environment than animal fur, it's important to note that 'better' doesn't mean 'best.' As with leather and wool, innovation is giving rise to even more sustainable alternatives with lower environmental footprints.
Today there are a growing number of alternatives to fur that are better for the environment and spare animals the agony of being raised or hunted for their fur.
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Spare thousands of rabbits and other animals a short and brutal life, and terrifying, painful death, by swapping animal derived fur for animal-free alternatives.
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Pictured: Faux Fur by Ecopel

Kinder Options

Bio-based faux fur
KOBA is a fur alternative that's partially made from vegetable crop oil, rather than petroleum oil.
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Because it's 37% plant-based, it requires 30% less energy and generates 63% fewer production emissions compared to traditional faux fur.

Gacha faux-fur
ECOPEL is a pioneer of cruelty-free faux fur products, championing the shift away from animal-derived fur. In 2022, Ecopel launched GACHA, a groundbreaking biodegradable faux fur. This remarkable product not only benefits the planet and its inhabitants but also the dedicated artisans who craft it. We firmly believe that fashion can and should prioritize the welfare of animals, the health of our planet, and the well-being of the people who create it.