W
hen the deer nibble the rosebuds and the rabbits go after the radishes, what do you do? You don’t want to harm them. You understand their attraction to the delicacies in your garden. But you’ve put in countless back-breaking hours, and you just want these uninvited guests to find dinner elsewhere. Many gentle gardeners, looking for a natural deterrent, purchase bottled animal urine, hoping the strong odor will frighten away their unwanted guests.

Garden experts say it doesn’t work; animals aren’t afraid of the scent. But there’s a bigger problem: Coyotes, foxes, raccoons and other animals whose urine is collected, bottled and sold to garden centers live in fear. And squalor.

On one urine-collection farm (where animals were also raised and killed for their fur), PETA investigators found foxes and raccoons crammed into tiny, filth-encrusted cages. The urine is collected in trays beneath the cages, so the animals have no bedding to lie on or to protect their feet from the wire floor. Some animals were injured, with exposed bones and infected, untreated wounds. Many had gone “cage-crazy” and circled endlessly, as though searching frantically for some way to comfort themselves in their small wire prisons. Some foxes, in despair, chewed and mutilated their own bodies.

When it was time to “harvest” the fur, the foxes and raccoons on this farm suffered an agonizing death by anal electrocution. The farmer placed a metal conductor in the frightened animals’ mouths, shoved an electric prod into their rectums and shot 250 volts through their bodies.

Urine/fur farms are not regulated by federal agencies, and the abuse witnessed by our investigators is common. Hundreds of farms continue to keep, exploit and kill animals for their urine. The best way to end this suffering is to put urine collectors out of business. PETA has contacted thousands of gardening centers and asked them not to sell bottled urine. Many have already pulled these products from their shelves.

Now we need your help.

On this urine collection/fur farm in Illinois, PETA found raccoons—also skinned for their fur—huddled together; filthy cages; frightened deer shut in a dark shed; and foxes with hideous, untreated wounds.

 

 

 

HQ and Kmart Ban Fox Urine!

After PETA sent information on cruel urine farms to Hechinger/HQ/Builders Square and the Kmart Corporation, they announced that their stores would stop selling fox urine. Send thanks to:

    Mr. Mark Schwartz
    CEO
    Hechinger/HQ/Builders Square
    1801 McCormick Dr.
    Largo, MD 20774

    Mr. Floyd Hall
    CEO
    K mart Corporation
    3100 W. Big Beaver Rd.
    Troy, MI 48084 (ask him to also remove deer urine)

Mask of Death

Unlike gardeners, hunters use urine to kill deer and other animals. They mask their human odor with urine or use urine as a sex lure to bring bucks to their tree stands. The Sports Authority and other sporting goods stores sell bottled urine collected from deer confined in small pens for this purpose.

 

You can protect your garden without cruel products.
Here’s how:

•A sturdy fence will keep deer out, and—if it’s deep enough—rabbits, too.

•Deer love to nip the buds from roses and other garden favorites, but there are many beautiful plants they don’t find appetizing. Try planting anemones, daffodils, ferns, junipers, astilbes, impatiens and foxgloves. The flower of the fritillaria imperialis bulb attracts the human eye, but its strong skunk-like odor repels deer.

•Give in! Designate a portion of your garden to wildflowers, grasses, fruit trees and other plants animals love to nibble, and wish the deer bon appetit! Fence or landscape with naturally repelling plants elsewhere.

If you must use bottled deterrents, choose animal-free brands such as Ro-Pel, Deer-Off, Mole-Med and Hinder. Contact PETA for a complete list.

•Never buy bottled urine for your garden.

•Talk to managers of local gardening and department stores and ask them not to sell bottled urine. Write to PETA for information or copy this article to show them what’s wrong with animal urine.

Write to Mr. Jack Smith, CEO, The Sports Authority, 3383 N. State Rd. 7, Fort Lauderdale, FL 33319, and ask him to stop selling bottled animal urine.

Also, ask managers of local sporting goods stores not to carry any bottled animal urine.

 

 

 

 

 

 

"Profiler" Spotlights Animal Abuse | Anything Can Be Vegan | The Scent of Fear | Downed Cow | Real-Life Beanie Babies | Party Like it's 1999! | Be a Pen-Pal for Animals | Stars to the Rescue | Actions & Updates | Support "No Animal Tests" Charities | Purrs & Grrrs
 

 

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals 501 Front St. Norfolk, VA 23510;
757-622-PETA (7382)
comments: peta@peta-online.org
technical questions: webmaster@peta-online.org