Fur Farming

THE TRAP: “Farmers who do not care for their animals will not remain in business very long.”
-The Fur Council of Canada

According to Statistics Canada, more than 2.5 million animals are farmed for their fur each year. The vast majority of these are mink and fox, both of which are non-domesticated, with all of their wild instincts in tact.

Fur farming, like any other form of factory farming, is hell on earth for animals.

Mink have a natural territory of up to 2500 acres; foxes can require even more space. Despite this, both animals spend their short, miserable lives trapped in tiny wire cages stacked together in long sheds, where they eat, sleep, urinate and defecate. Their movement is so severely restricted (the average mink has less floor space than two sheets of paper) that they are unable to run, hunt, hide, or socialize. Studies have shown that because mink are semi-aquatic, they suffer greatly when denied access to water. Foxes suffer similarly when denied the ability to dig and seek cover, which the tiny wire cages also disallow.

Some of the common physical consequences of these unnatural living conditions include frostbite, deformed limbs, infectious diseases, and ulcers. Sadly, but not surprisingly, farmed animals also routinely develop psychological conditions, including social deprivation, learned helplessness, continuous fear, and behavioural abnormalities (repetitive pacing, circling, head-bobbing, self mutilation) at a rate of up to 85%. Inbreeding for specific colour traits has also led to severe genetic abnormalities including deafness, “screw-neck”, and compromised immune systems.

The fur industry routinely claims that it is in the best interest of the farmers to treat their animals humanely, as it is integral to the “quality” of the fur. But “high quality” fur has never been shown to reflect on the health or wellbeing of a farmed animal– only that they were killed shortly after their first winter coat arrives, at about seven months of age. In order to avoid damaging the fur, animals are killed by gassing, neck-braking, or anal electrocution.

The Fur Institute of Canada explains that “Canadian fur farmers also operate under provincial and territorial legislation and Codes of Practice covering animal welfare. The Recommended Codes of Practice for the Care and Handling of Farm Animals include mink and ranched fox, and were developed by Agriculture Canada in collaboration with the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies”.

Don’t let the rhetoric fool you. There are no laws regulating the keeping, handling or killing of cage-raised fur-bearing animals in Canada. All regulations are entirely voluntary and simply reflect the standard practices used to make the most possible profit off of each animal with the least possible amount of input and care.

THE TRAP: “It is true that nature has its own ways of controlling wildlife populations,
but these ways are usually much less humane that modern trapping methods.”
-The Fur Council of Canada

Trapping

For most of those familiar with the trapping sector of the commercial fur trade, the issue seems incredibly black and white: wild animals should be protected, not trapped and killed for a frivolous product no one needs. Unfortunately there are still some people out there who only see animals as dollar signs, and they will go to almost any length to take a life if money can be made, even if it’s only a few dollars per animal. As such, a wide variety of traps have been developed, each with the intention of capturing an animal in such a way as to prevent them from escaping without causing too much damage to their fur.

Unfortunately, with retrieving a ‘marketable pelt’ as the singular goal of trapping, the life and wellbeing of the animal it belongs to isn’t even an afterthought, as evidenced by the way traps are designed, set, placed, and checked, and also by the way the trapped animal is ‘dispatched’ (killed). Nor is the species of the animal of any real concern, so long as the ‘target’ animal(s) are eventually caught, as ‘trash’ animals can simply be thrown out. These are the realities of modern day trapping, as the details that follow will make explicitly clear.

 

Trap Categories (Killing, Restraining and Drowning)

In order to have an accurate understanding of trapping, an overview of the three main categories of traps used throughout Canada is necessary, as each kind of trap has its own host of issues.

Killing Traps (most common: snares, body grip (Conibear) trap): These are intended to quickly kill a trapped animal, however, according to the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies (CFHS) “when an animal is caught in a trap not intended for it, or when it enters the trap at the wrong speed or the wrong way, it is often caught but not killed, and suffers excruciating pain until it loses consciousness or is found – sometimes after days”. Because traps are not selective, ‘non-target’ animals are routinely caught in traps not ‘intended’ for them. Sadly, while “most provinces have regulations for checking restraining traps, most don’t regulate the checking of killing traps so animals that aren’t killed immediately can suffer for days or weeks before they are found”.

Restraining Traps (most common: leg-hold trap): These are intended to restrain an animal (while alive) until the trapper returns to “dispatch” him or her (“dispatch” is the industry term for kill). The most common restraining trap is the infamous leg-hold trap. Despite being banned by many countries around the world, as well as Florida, Rhode Island, New Jersey and Arizona, the leg-hold trap is still legal in every province and territory in Canada. The American Veterinary Association, the American Animal Hospital Association, the World Veterinary Association, the National Animal Control Association and the Sierra Club all oppose the leg-hold trap.

Across Canada, trap checking times for restraining traps vary from once every 24 hours to once every 5 days:

Prince Edward Island: 24 hours
Newfoundland: 24 hours
Nova Scotia: 24 hours
New Brunswick: 48 hours
Quebec: 24 hours
Ontario: 24 hours
Manitoba: 72 hours
Saskatchewan: 24 hours – 5 days
Alberta: 24 – 48 hours
British Columbia: 72 hours
North West Territories: 72 hours
Nunavut: 72 hours
Yukon Territory: 5 days

Prolonged agony is a guarantee for any animal caught in a restraining trap (and remember that even traps designed to ‘kill’ often don’t even have regulated trap check times). As if this isn’t upsetting enough, these weak regulations are also largely unenforceable. For example, in BC, there are only 92 regional staff in the Conservation Officer Service to enforce the Fisheries and Wildlife Act. That averages about one Officer per 10,269 km2. This guarantees that untold amounts of animal suffering go undocumented and uninvestigated across Canada. Animals die trying to free themselves, as well as from dehydration, blood loss, hypothermia or predation by other animals. Many animals become so desperate they resort to chewing off their own limbs to escape. Animal families are destroyed. For example, in 1975 it was reported at a US Congressional hearing that one Alaskan lynx remained trapped for six weeks while members of his family brought him food to keep him alive. When the trapper finally returns, the restrained animal will be bludgeoned, choked, or stomped to death (so as not to damage the pelt).

Drowning Sets (most common trap: leghold and conibear): These traps are used on semi-aquatic animals such as beaver, otter, and muskrats. Semi-aquatic animals make up 60% of Canada’s trapped animals. Traps are set either underwater or set so that the animal will be pulled underwater once caught. Both are intended to drown the animals, and the CFHS reports that they “undergo excruciating pain and stress as they struggle for several minutes – beavers sometimes struggle up to 20 minutes – before they die”.

 

The 3 Main Types of Traps

So within the 3 main categories of traps (each with their own sets of issues and regulations), there are 3 main traps used to kill furbearing animals. They are: the leghold, the body grip (Conibear), and the snare.

The leghold (a restraining trap): An indiscriminate trap used on foxes, coyotes, raccoons, and countless ‘non-target’ animals who are ‘accidentally’ caught. These traps are placed where animals will be passing through, and catch the animal by the limb (ensuring the pelt remains unspoiled). Once trapped, the animal has a painful and panic-filled wait until they die from exhaustion, blood loss, dehydration, hypothermia, or clubbing/choking/stomping at the hands of the trapper.

The body-grip (Conibear) trap (a killing trap): An indiscriminate trap used to catch beavers and muskrats (underwater) as well as martens, fishers, raccoons, and other animals killed for fur. Routinely described by the industry as an instant-kill trap, but according to the CFHS, “animals are often severely injured and suffer for many hours or days before being found by trappers”. The trap consists of two rectangular frames with a trigger, that when activated, slams shuts on the body. This is meant to happen when animals walk or swim through it, though in many cases “[b]ecause the size of an animal or the way it enters the trap cannot be controlled, non-target animals, which are either too large or too small, often get caught in these traps” and all too often, critically injure the animal without killing him or her, resulting in an agonizing prolonged death. Even when a target animal is caught, the Conibear is problematic as “the metal frames often don’t hit vital spots or have enough force to kill, and end up crushing bones, blood vessels and nerves, leaving the animal to suffer a prolonged death”.

The snare trap (a killing trap): An indiscriminate and extremely cruel trap used primarily for coyotes, foxes and wolves. Both neck and leg snares are routinely used in Canada, and some provinces still allow snares to be placed in trees, causing the animals to hang after they have been caught. The snare tightens as the animal tries to free him or herself, resulting in restraint, or death by slow strangulation. Some animals struggle long enough for the snare to make it difficult to breathe, but not enough to be killed. Snares are considered to “cause an agonizing prolonged death and restraining snares cause animals to suffer excruciating pain when caught by their limb”. Wally Jakubas, a mammal scientist for the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, was conducting a study of snared coyotes when he noticed an alarming trend. After checking 94 snared coyotes, he noticed a large proportion of carcasses with fractured limbs, broken teeth, bullet holes, and grotesquely swollen heads (called ‘jellyheads’ by trappers).

When the snare doesn’t close sufficiently, it constricts the jugular vein on the outside of the neck, thereby preventing blood from  returning to the heart. Meanwhile, the carotid artery keeps pumping blood into the brain, eventually rupturing its vascular system. In a memo to his supervisor, Jakubas wrote:

“I think it is also safe to say that [this] is an unpleasant death. Anyone who has had a migraine knows what it feels like to have swollen blood vessels in the head. To have blood vessels burst because of pressure must be excruciating.”

Almost one third of the animals Jakubas examined were ‘jellyheads’. Almost another third had been clubbed or shot, indicating that snares do not kill quickly (as the industry claims they do).

Our film, Crying Shame contains video taken by a licensed trapper on a registered trapline during trapping season. The traps mentioned above are depicted in this video, and all cameras were automatic (no humans approached the trapped animals).

 

The ‘Non-Target’ Animal Trap:

Traps are indiscriminate, which means that any person or animal (including pets and endangered species), young or old, can and do get caught in traps. The reported numbers are consistently disturbing. For example, the American Veterinary Medical Association reports that ‘non-target animals’ (or ‘trash’ animals as they are referred to by industry) account for up to 67% of total catch. These trash animals routinely include our dogs and cats, as well as deer, birds and endangered species. The animals often die as a result of their injuries. The following are just a small sample of the recent, reported incidents of ‘non-target’ animals being trapped:

• In January 2012, Leila Basen and Doc McEwen were walking their dog, Lola, along a recreational trail in Hemmingford, Quebec. Suddenly, Lola became caught in a Conibear trap that had been placed near the path. Despite managing to get Lola free and rushing her to the vet, due to her extensive injuries, she was euthanized. (CBC News Story)

• In December 2011, in Newfoundland, Laurie Short-Cahill’s mother-in-law was walking her dog, Riley, who found himself caught in a coyote snare near a popular cabin area. The snare wasn’t marked, and was no more than 1 kilometre away from the highway. Sadly, Riley was killed. (CBC Radio Story)

• In March 2012, in Constance Lake, Ontario, Larry Gillis and grandson Jeff Gillis caught an Endangered Eastern Wolverine (while targeting lynx). Gillis claims he didn’t realize wolverines were an endangered species until a marine biologist in Hearst had the Ministry of Natural Resources confiscated the body. “They said I couldn’t sell it or possess it”, Gillis said. (Wawatay News)

• In January 2011, a Manitoba trapper found a dead, full grown male cougar in his trap (which was meant for coyotes). The cougar is listed as a protected species, so under the law the trapper had to report it to Manitoba Conservation. The cougar was the fourth found in the province since 1973. (CBC News Story)

There is almost no incentive for trappers to report non-target catches, especially if they are endangered animals (which could result in penalization), and there is virtually no way to enforce the laws that make it illegal to catch endangered species. And because traps literally don’t have the capacity to discriminate, there is no way to prevent non-target catches. The Gillis’ are a prime example of how ‘in touch’ with conservation efforts the trapping community is. For a more complete list of non-target animals who have been caught in traps (including companion animals), click here. Traps are a danger to humans as well. For example, in New Brunswick, you can legally set a trap within 300 metres of a dwelling, including schools, playgrounds, athletic fields, etc. and in B.C. you can legally set a trap 200 metres from a dwelling in or near water.

So how does the industry manage to argue that trapping animals is ‘humane’? They refer to the Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS).

 

The Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards (AIHTS)

“This Agreement…which is a giant step forward, establishes humane trapping standards.” – Fur Institute of Canada

In 1995, the European Union passed a progressive ban on the use of leg-hold traps in all its member countries, as well as a ban on fur from any country still using leg-hold traps. In response, Canada threatened the EU with economic punishments under GATT and the WTO. Sadly, the EU conceded and exempted Canada from their ban when Canada, the USA and Russia instead proposed “The Agreement on International Humane Trapping Standards” (AIHTS). This agreement was based on the commitment to develop and use only “humane” traps, and with the understanding that the agreement would lead to the eventual banning of the leg-hold trap. What it did instead was put an official ‘humane’ seal of approval on business-as-usual and provided the fur industry with a sound bite about their commitment to ‘humaneness’ while changing very little about the actual practices. This exercise in deception exists entirely because the majority of the Canadian and international public are not comfortable with, or supportive of, the trapping of animals.

The standards apply to 12 animals routinely killed for fur (beaver, muskrat, otter, weasel, marten, fisher, raccoon, badger, coyote, wolf, lynx and bobcat). Noticeably missing from the agreement are minks, foxes, and wolverines. Although the steel jaw leg-hold trap is no longer permitted, superficially altered versions of the trap remain the standard. This is contrary to the entire purpose of the agreement, which was to ban the leg-hold trap entirely. As it stands, the same traps that have been used for 40 years are still allowed, including snares, which are considered extremely inhumane even by moderate groups like the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies.

According to the CFHS, these minor cosmetic alterations of the steel jaw leghold trap may reduce skin breakage, but is otherwise identical to the standard leghold. These alterations are:

• Lining the steel jaws with a very thin layer of nylon, which can be likened to slamming your hand in a car door with a very thin glove on (this is called the ‘padded’ leghold).
• Increasing the width of the steel jaws (by a few millimeters) (this is called the ‘laminated’ leghold)
• Creating a 3/16 of an inch gap between the steel jaws (this is called the ‘offset’ leghold)

Drowning sets may still use the conventional leghold trap, and since 60% of the animals killed for fur in Canada are semi-aquatic, the agreement technically does nothing for the majority of the animals killed in Canada. Additionally, the agreement falls short in providing basic welfare guarantees for all trapped animals.

The agreement states that for restraining traps (leghold traps):

• 80% of animals must “not show any signs of poor welfare” (“poor welfare” means no self-mutilation, excessive immoblity, fractures, severance of tendon or ligament, severe external haemorrhage, internal haemorrhage, skeletal muscle degeneration, spinal cord injury, severe internal organ damage, amputation and death)
• This is a completely unenforceable standard in the wild, as the nature of trapping makes it almost impossible for enforcement officers to ensure animals aren’t suffering in the above-mentioned ways. This is especially true given that traps are not selective.
• Also, since only 80% of the animals even have to be ‘protected’ on paper, this means that of the 47,340 coyotes trapped for their fur each year, it is acceptable under the AIHTS for 9,468 of them to show signs of ‘poor welfare’. And since this agreement doesn’t even pretend to ensure welfare for all animals, this is something that the CFHS finds concerning.