PETA to Give Away Fur Coats to the Homeless

Group Says Only the Truly Needy Have Any Excuse for Wearing Fur 

For Immediate Release:
December 19, 2012

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Toronto -- PETA members will distribute 30 fur coats—donated by those who have moved on to garments whose production did not involve cruelty to animals—to some of Toronto's neediest residents at the John Innes Community Centre on Thursday. PETA has invited women from several homeless shelters to attend the event and receive a free coat.

When:   Thursday, December 20, 12 noon 

Where:  John Innes Community Centre, 150 Sherbourne St., Toronto

"We can't bring the animals who were slaughtered to make these coats back to life, but we can send a message that only people truly struggling to survive have any excuse for wearing fur," says PETA President Ingrid E. Newkirk.

For every cuff, collar, piece of trim, or coat made from real fur, animals endured miserable lives and died in agony. For this reason, many people—including celebrities such as Mariah Carey, Kim Cattrall, and Sharon Osbourne—have chosen to donate their fur coats to PETA for use in educational displays, to supply bedding for orphaned animals, or to be given to needy people in the U.S. and elsewhere.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.