FUR... This topic makes me a little nervous, only because I don't want to be doused in red paint! ; ) Fur has been worn for centuries; only relatively recently has it become a huge controversy in the fashion industry. Fur can be very beautiful and glamorous. Of course I love nearly everybody and everything so for myself it would be impossible to intentionally kill an animal, however if the rest of the animal is being used I don't see a problem with wearing the fur.
There is a right and a wrong way to do almost everything. I do not agree with people torturing animals. Killing animals specifically for their furs and discarding the rest of their body is a terrible waste and absolutely disgusting. I do not agree with fur farms, just as I try not to eat farm raised fish; it's just not natural. On the other hand I do believe in hunting and I eat a lot of animal products: steak, cheese, ice cream, hamburger, bacon, pork chops, ribs, calf balls, etc.
Within the last few years I have been lucky enough to take part in many cowgirl activities. My older sister married a fifth generation cowboy from the San Diego mountains, almost three years ago. Since they met he has introduced us to a very natural, practical, traditional cowboy lifestyle. I had never been to a branding or imagined I'd be interested in hearing about how the steak, chicken, bacon and burgers (that I LOVE to eat), get to my plate, but these are things that I really enjoy now. I have learned so much from this new lifestyle; I have a new point of view!
My sister and brother in law raise grass fed beef and sell it to Homegrown Meats, a butcher shop in La Jolla. The cattle are raised in a natural setting, on thousands of acres, in beautiful valleys on and surrounding Palomar Mountain. I am lucky enough to help: gather, brand, ween, chase cattle all over the place! When the cattle reach weight and go to the slaughter house, every cow's hide is removed... this is not discarded, it is used to make leather goods, or another cow hide product. I had no idea! Every part of the cow that can be sold and used, is sold and used. It makes so much sense. People eat rabbit, deer, cow; all of which has fur, I want to wear it!! : )
Growing up one of my favorite items of my Mom's to borrow was her Rabbit fur coat, a gift she received from my father for their first anniversary. I wore it everywhere: dances, plays, dinner, walks on Christmas morning, etc. Of course while I was wearing this gorgeous coat I never imagined what had been done in order for it to be made, why would I? All of the fur that is hanging in my closet was given to me and I love all of it. In the future I will buy faux fur or fur from responsible traders. I don't find it necessary to discard the fur that I already own, although I don't know where it came from, what good would that do... the animal is already dead and hopefully eaten!
Growing up in the country gave me what I consider a very practical view on animals. Every time we got a pet it would get eaten by a Mountain Lion, our Rottweiler, or another giant creature. We had pets run away, hang themselves, get attacked in front of our breakfast nook as we watched through the windows, break their back, contract some gnarly foaming of the mouth virus, drowned in our pool, etc. That's rough! I didn't want to get too close to them, three weeks later they'd be a little hairball on our back deck. I've fed mice to snakes and bunny pops to wolves. Good ol' circle of life!
My relationship with animals is very spiritual, I feel very connected. I love to ride horses and watch the birds fly through the skies. Baby animals of any sort are cute enough for me to bring home and cuddle in bed all night. When I make eye contact with animals it makes me a little sad, there is something a little sad about their faces; I could cry. I don't have an extremely strong bond with any animal in the world, but I do love my sibling's pets and if I ever saw an animal in any kind of harm, I would without a doubt do my hardest to assist it. The only thing I really dislike about animals is the odor and dander; It's foul.
Please feel free to let me know how you feel about fur. Considering we all come from different backgrounds and have had different experiences and bonds with animals, we will all have a slightly different point of view! I promise to respect everybody's opinion, please do the same for me.
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