Angora Wool Banned From Express, Inc., After PETA Appeal

Columbus-Based Retailer Joins List of Companies Eliminating Products Made With Fur Ripped Out of Live Rabbits’ Bodies

For Immediate Release:
January 13, 2014

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Following an appeal from PETA, Columbus-based men’s and women’s retailer Express, Inc., confirmed that it has banned products made with angora wool, saying, “We will no longer use angora and have already found some great alternative yarns.” The company made the decision after PETA sent it video footage—shot by a PETA Asia investigator in China, the source of 90 percent of the world’s angora fur—that shows rabbits screaming as workers rip the fur from their bodies. The apparently shocked animals are then dumped back into tiny wire cages, and the process is repeated every three months for 2 to 5 years, when the rabbits are then killed.

“Shoppers can rest easy knowing that none of the sweaters, scarves, or gloves at Express will be made with fur that was ripped out of a terrified rabbit’s skin,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “We applaud Express for taking a stand against cruelty to animals by banning angora wool.”

Express joins a quickly growing list of compassionate companies—including Eddie Bauer, Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger, Forever 21, ASOS, H&M, Limited Brands, and Marks & Spencer—that have completely banned angora products since PETA Asia’s investigation was released.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.