Giant Plucked ‘Goose’ Has Message for Santa Monica Shoppers: Ditch Down!

PETA Will Ruffle Feathers to Expose Industry’s Cruelty to Birds

For Immediate Release:
November 13, 2013

Contact:
Sophia Charchuk 202-483-7382

Accompanied by a 7-foot-tall, half-plucked goose, pajama-clad activists will be “sleeping in” outside the REI outdoor store on Santa Monica Boulevard on Thursday. While sitting up in sleeping bags under a banner that reads, “Don’t Cuddle Up to Cruelty—Ditch Down,” five PETA members will protest the cruelty of down production. Other activists will hold signs that read, “Down Hurts.” The battered bird wants shoppers who would never think of buying fur to know that down sleeping bags, jackets, gloves, pillows, and comforters cause extreme pain for ducks and geese who are often repeatedly plucked alive for their feathers.

“Down is a product of cruelty to birds,” says Alicia Silverstone in a PETA video exposé. The actor offers a behind-the-scenes view of the down industry, showing how millions of geese and ducks are “violently plucked bloody for their feathers” while they’re still alive—a traumatic and painful experience.

Where:           Outside REI, 402 Santa Monica Blvd. (near the intersection with 4^th Street), Santa Monica

When:             Thursday, November 14, 12 noon

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 are a superior option for climbers and campers, as down loses much of its insulating properties when it gets wet.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.