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The Animal Welfare Cause
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Loading...The Truth About Leather: Wearing Cruelty
Although many people acknowledge and boycott the needlessness and cruelty involved in fur farming, leather still remains a tremendously popular clothing item with little to no resistance against it.
Just like fur, in order to get leather, an animal must first be killed and slaughtered. Unfortunately, many conscientious individuals are misled into believing leather is simply a “by-product” of the meat industry and there is no harm in buying it.
Sadly, this is not the case.
It is estimated that leather makes up half of all profits of slaughterhouses that process cattle. Leather is a not a by-product, it is a co-product.
Because the profit margin is rather small on the sale of animal flesh (relatively speaking), most cattle exploiting companies are dependent upon the sale of hides to remain in business.
Many of us who care about the wellbeing of animals don’t eat meat because we don’t want to put money in the pockets of people who kill animals for profit, yet many of us still support these horrific industries by buying leather.
Most leather comes from the skin of animals raised for meat, but virtually all dairy cows meet the same end, as well, when their milk production slows down and they are no longer seen as profitable to keep.
Calfskin suede is exactly what it sounds like. This is the skin of mostly young male dairy calves. These poor calves have been taken from their mothers within days of being born and confined to tiny wooden boxes, where they’re raised to be veal. To buy calfskin suede supports the terrible treatment of veal calves, the inherent abuse of dairy farming, and the entire animal exploiting meat industry.
A growing percentage of leather on the market in the US is imported from India and China. And in China, many animal welfare laws do not exist. And if they do exist, they are simply not enforced, leaving millions of animals to suffer horrible deaths so their skin may be turned into a cheap pair of shoes.
In many states of India it is actually illegal to slaughter cows because Hindus honor them as sacred beings. Cattle purchasers will buy impoverished Hindu families’ cows from them with the promises that their beloved cows will be taken care of. But instead they death march them to Bangladesh, Pakistan or an Indian state where cow slaughter is permitted.
For cows who have been treated as the most honored member of a family, to all of a sudden be forced to walk potentially hundreds of miles, is more than most can bear. As cows falter and fall, or are too sick to walk, the wranglers will rub hot chili powder in their eyes or break the bones in their tails to motivate them to keep going.
For those who make the distance to the slaughterhouse, they will have their throats slit while fully conscious.
The thought of an animal enduring such a nightmare so someone can have — what they perceive as — a fashionable bag, jacket, pair of shoes or furniture covering, is too much for me.
When comparing the treatment of animals on fur farms to that of animals slaughtered for meat and leather, it is shocking that we don’t all do more to boycott this cruel and needless industry.
There are many synthetic alternatives to virtually every single leather product on the market. Some shopping resources:
Sign The Petition: Boycott The Use Of Leather
Read more: animal welfare, china, cruelty, dairy, fur, hindu, india, leather, meat, slaughterhouse, veal
photo credit: Image: Paul Martin Eldridge / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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+ add your own“How can we ourselves find peace when we are the living graves of murdered animals?"
-George Bernard Shaw
I am not a hardcore vegan. I love cheese too much! But I am loosely vegetarian. I am a fish-and-eggs vegetarian most of the time. I buy eggs from cage-free hens. I eat meat once or twice a year, but I try to ethical about, only free-range, usually Amish-raised. I never wear fur. I have a few leather things that I feel very guilty about. I just recently found out wear suede comes from. Okay, I'm stupid, I didn't know it comes from cows. After reading this and watching the videos linked, I am seriously considering getting rid of all my leather and suede. Sigh. Stupid morals.
We would not even exist if it was not for our ancestors eating meat, using hides , hair, wool & leather from animals. AND you know the PARADOX ? Most of you radical hard core Vegans would be in favor of ABORTION !!!
(sorry i didn't finish my thought, i was up all night from the heat)
so dairy & meat are supply & demand and cows aren't slaughtered just for their hides. having the dairy won't kill the cows but since the demand for meat will, the less meat consumed, the less leather there will be. so if vegan is to difficult, at least consider becoming vegetarian or eating vegetarian means 2-3 times a week.
dairy and meat are a matter of supply & demand
Christa P,
Every one of these bible passages speaks of the torture of animals and/or the killing of animals, or the eating of animals.
Genesis
6:7 7:21 7:23
30:40 Why did Jacob have flocks?
Exodus
9:6 9:10 9:19 9:22 9:25 12:12
12:21 ...“Go at once and select the animals for your families and slaughter the Passover lamb.
13:15 19:13
Leviticus
11:2 ...‘Of all the animals that live on land, these are the ones you may eat:
11:3 11:39 17:13
(for vegans who believe in the bible)
19:19 ...“‘Do not plant your field with two kinds of seed. “‘Do not wear clothing woven of two kinds of material.
20:15 20:16
25:7 as well as for your livestock and the wild animals in your land. Whatever the land produces may be eaten.
Numbers
7:87 7:88
Deuteronomy
12:15 Nevertheless, you may slaughter your animals in any of your towns and eat as much of the meat as you want, as if it were gazelle or deer, according to the blessing the LORD your God gives you. Both the ceremonially unclean and the clean may eat it.
12:21 14:4 14:6 15:19 16:2 20:48
2 Chronicles
29:33 35:11 35:13
Psalm
66:15
Ezekiel
14:13 14:17 14:19
34:3 You eat the curds, clothe yourselves with the wool and slaughter the choice animals, but you do not take care of the flock.
39:4
39:17 39:18
Hebrews
13:11
In conclusion, the bible can't be used to argue against killing animals.
(this was fun! :D)
Do not kill. This is Law and Order of God. Do not kill animals.
Animals are living creature.
Love animals, treat animals well and don’t kill animals.
Do not kill. This is Law and Order of God. Do not kill animals.
Animals are living creature. Don’t eat animals, they’re also living creatures and friends.
Don’t eat meat, don’t eat fish.
Eat vegan and live vegan. Don’t eat meat, don’t eat fish.
No products from and of animals.
Don’t kill animals and treat animals well and treat animals rightly.
And do not destroy the vital habitat of animals. Do not destroy the nature.
www.christapardeller.wordpress.com
Yes adhere to this plea! best bet is go vegan! and stay the fuck away from animals and their skin and fur! who's is it? theirs and theirs only! fancy a hand bag out of human skin?
I hate leather
@Sarah D. You want proof? Here's some visual proof from an undercover investigation: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LnlusPCzXI0 This is not extraordinary treatment, it is sadly very typical. And if you continue to be skeptical, do some more research--this clip I found only after 15 seconds of searching.
As for buying vegan fashion, I bought a pair of vegan boots that I wear practically every single day, and they're more comfortable than some leather ones I used to have, and I still have them 7 years later. And they weren't any more than buying a pair of new leather boots. And I have a pair of vegan dress shoes that see regular use, and three years later, they still look great. Quality craftsmanship is quality craftsmanship, no matter the material used.
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