Forever 21 Bans Angora Wool

Retailer Nixes Angora After PETA Investigation Reveals Rabbits Screaming as Workers Rip Fur From Their Bodies

For Immediate Release:
January 8, 2014

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

After being contacted by PETA, Forever 21 confirmed that it has banned all products made with angora wool. The announcement follows the release of video footage—shot by a PETA Asia investigator in China, the source of 90 percent of the world’s angora fur—that shows that workers violently rip the fur from restrained rabbits’ bodies as the animals scream in terror and pain.

“Shoppers will be relieved to learn that Forever 21 will never again place orders for products made with fur that was ripped out of screaming rabbits’ skin,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA applauds Forever 21 for doing the right thing for animals and consumers.”

PETA Asia’s investigator visited angora farms in China, where there are no penalties for animal abuse on rabbit farms and no standards that regulate the treatment of animals. The investigator documented rabbits, who are highly sensitive and social animals, lying in shock and isolation inside tiny, filthy wire-bottomed cages after having their fur ripped out. This process is repeated every three months for two to five years before their throats are slit and they’re replaced with new rabbits, who will endure the same fate.

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

For more information, please visit PETA.org.