One of Perthshire’s top retailers is under pressure from animal rights campaigners to stop selling fur items including raccoon coats.
The House of Bruar at Blair Atholl, which removed hamster fur coats from the shelves after an earlier campaign, has been been strongly critcised by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
Their attention was drawn to the retailer by Sylvia MacDonald from Inverness who stopped at the popular outlet on her way to Aberfeldy.
“I was staggered, I could not believe what I was seeing – raccoon, fox and rabbit coats and jackets,” she said.
“I was so angry, I am disgusted that in this day and age that they are selling fur like this in 2017. I will not be returning.”
PETA director Elisa Allen called on House of Bruar to follow the lead of other top names, with Gucci the latest to announce that they will no longer be using fur.
“We shudder when we hear the name House of Bruar which once sold hamster fur coats and continues to peddle tasteless items made with fox, rabbit, and raccoon fur,” she said.
“From luxury designers such as Gucci, Giorgio Armani, and Vivienne Westwood to the Scottish high street and department stores like Jenners of Edinburgh – almost all fashion brands are proudly fur-free.
“That’s because we all know by now that fur is a product of extreme violence – most of it is taken from animals who are kept in tiny, filthy cages for their entire lives before being killed by electrocution, bludgeoning, or another painful method. With so many beautiful, warm vegan fabrics now available, there’s no excuse for selling or wearing fur, and those who do so stand out for all the wrong reasons.”
Patrick Birkbeck, managing director of the family-run independent retailer which was visited by the Duchess of Rothesay last month, wrote to Mrs MacDonald and apologised for any offence caused.
“However, as a retail business we try to offer our customers a comprehensive experience and a range of products,” he said.
“It is not for us to force customers to buy these products, but we are pleased to provide our customers with choices.”
Mr Birkbeck added that suppliers assured them that the fur was “acquired in an ethical way”.
