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| PETA is well known for its aggressive media campaigns [FILE PHOTO/©PETA] |
Ottawa: Wearing nothing but lacy white lingerie, wings, and halos,
two PETA "angels" will hold signs that read, "Be an Angel: Don't
Wear Animals," at Bank and Albert streets on Monday to encourage Ottawa shoppers
to leave fur, leather, wool, down, and exotic skins off their shopping
lists.
The PETA angels hope to turn shoppers on to the fact that
animals destined to be killed for their skins are electrocuted, poisoned,
gassed, or mutilated or have their necks broken, or—in the case of snakes—have
a hose rammed into their mouths and water pumped into them so that workers can
more easily cut off the animals' tightened skin while they are still alive.
"The fashion industry is hell for the animals who are killed
for their skin," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman.
"With all the luxurious, cruelty-free fabrics on the market today, it's
easy to get a heavenly look without sending anyone to the pearly gates."
As Tim Gunn says in PETA's video exposé, you can "make
it work" without using real fur, leather, or other animal-derived
textiles, and several designers and retailers are doing just that.
Top clothing designers—including Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren,
Susie Shier and Stella McCartney—refuse to use fur in their creations. And many
companies—including H&M, Nike and Cole Haan, and Overstock.com—have banned
the sale of exotic skins.