Companies Scramble After PETA Asia Exposes Down Industry Cruelty
Scrubbed websites, internal investigations, and halted business with farms and slaughterhouses in Vietnam: These are just some of the attempts at damage control that companies have made on the heels of PETA Asia’s damning investigation into Vina Prauden—a Prauden-owned down supplier for Gap Inc., H&M, Lacoste, and other brands—and Nam Vu, a down supplier for GUESS.
The investigation revealed that workers at duck slaughterhouses in Vietnam stabbed conscious birds in the neck and cut off their feet while they were still struggling. Feathers from these facilities were later sold under the deceptive Responsible Down Standard (RDS) label.
In response, these companies have scrambled to hide their involvement in various ways:
- H&M removed animal welfare labels from its online offerings and erased mentions of the RDS and “responsible down.”
- Nam Vu delisted GUESS as a customer on its website and later removed its entire online list of customers. It also claims that it’s reinspecting facilities.
- Prauden claims to have cut off the part of its supply chain that includes Vietnamese farms and slaughterhouses while it investigates. It also removed its list of customers from its website.
- Textile Exchange claims to be investigating, just as it does after every PETA exposé, although little or nothing ever changes as a result for animals.
The only thing these companies should do in response is take action that really counts—by ditching down altogether. Ducks are individuals who enjoy relaxing in the water and swimming with their companions. These companies can all choose to use high-quality, innovative down-free materials instead of stealing someone’s feathers.
You can help save ducks by calling on H&M, GUESS, and GAP Inc. to do the only responsible thing—ban down now:
