Giant Plucked 'Goose' to Deliver the Lowdown on Down in Louisville

PETA Members to Converge on Louisville to Expose Cruel Industry

For Immediate Release:
December 12, 2012

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Louisville -- Accompanied by an activist dressed as a half-plucked goose and holding signs that read, "Plucked Alive," with graphic imagery, PETA supporters will congregate in Louisville on Thursday. The battered bird's point? That shoppers who would never think of buying fur often purchase jackets, gloves, pillows, or comforters filled with down because they aren't aware of the hideous suffering of birds who are often repeatedly—and painfully—plucked alive for down.

When:   Thursday, December 13, 12 noon

Where:  Southeast corner of W. Muhammad Ali Boulevard and S. Fourth Street, Louisville

"PETA wants shoppers to know that buying down products is every bit as cruel as purchasing fur, exotic skins, leather, or wool," says PETA Associate Director of Campaigns Lindsay Rajt. "The rule of thumb is easy to remember: If a product came from an animal, the chances that abuse and suffering were involved are roughly 100 percent."

To obtain down, the feathers are often ripped out of restrained, frightened, screaming birds. Warm, animal-friendly bedding and winter clothing are available everywhere. PETA encourages shoppers to check labels for synthetic down, down alternative, polyester fill, or high-tech fabrics such as PrimaLoft® and Thinsulate™—soft, washable, down-like fibers. In most cases, these alternatives are superior to down, which loses much of its insulating properties when it gets wet.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.