PETA, in their years-long campaign against Canada Goose, recently released a video with actor Justin Long. In the video, Justin Long explains why he dislikes the jacket company and goes undercover in a Canada Goose store.
Canada Goose, known for their warm and thick winter coats and other extreme weather clothing, has maintained that the company only uses ethically sourced materials including their down and fur.
In the video, which has been viewed over 1 million times on Facebook, Long attempts to find out the truth of the matter by filming a recent visit to a Canada Goose store in New York. When speaking with a store employee on the subject, he is referred to the company’s website and is told by the worker, “I’m not going to have this conversation right now.”
“One of the things Canada Goose will flaunt is the fact that their fur doesn’t come from a fur farm — that somehow the fact that they pay trappers to trap and then kill these animals is somehow better. But… they’re just like the dogs you see people walking in the streets. The company didn’t really seem to care,” Long states in the video.
“Ultimately, I would challenge Canada Goose that if they’re so proud of where they get the fur, why not show us where it really comes from?” he says.
WARNING: Images in the video may contain content viewers find hard to watch.
It seems that Canada Goose was ready to respond and gave an exclusive statement to Mic, which the website headlined as Canada Goose is clapping back. You can read the statement below:
PETA and other activist groups misrepresent the facts and use sensational tactics, including celebrities, to try to illicit a reaction,” a statement from the brand read. “They have been using the same rhetoric for years.”
Canada Goose continued:
Such groups attempt to mislead consumers through ongoing attacks that ignore strict government regulation and standards, as well as our commitment to ethical sourcing practices and responsible use of fur and down. We remain deeply committed to the responsible use and ethical sourcing of all animal materials in our products, as evidenced by our Transparency Standards.
“We do not condone any willful mistreatment, neglect or acts that maliciously cause undue pain, injury or suffering toward animals, and we are committed to providing full transparency about how we make our products. No matter where they’re worn, our products are designed and built to protect against the harshest elements and environments on Earth.
We understand that some people think animal products should never be used in any consumer products, including food, and we respect that, however we do not share the same view.”
While the Mic article does state some interesting information, such as the standards set out by the Canadian government in regards to fur trapping and down collection, the website clearly has a one-sided view of the argument. Or at least a dislike towards Justin Long, stating ‘So while sensationalist tactics — like hiring one of the stars of 2002’s Crossroads — may elicit attention.’ Ouch. To be fair to Justin, he’s gone on to add about 70 different acting credits to his resume since then.
Name dropping and movie-bashing aside, there is one movie festival taking PETA’s call to action seriously. The Berlin Film Festival has confirmed that the fur fashion label will not be a sponsor at the upcoming 2017 festival. Canada Goose also confirmed the Berlinale partnership contract has ended.
While this certainly won’t be the last story we hear regarding PETA and a fashion retailer, we can only hope both sides have the best interest in the animals at heart. Because whether you agree with wearing fur or not, nobody should condone animal torture.
