There's a lot of fur fashion updates to cover this month, but let's start with a topic that we've been seeing in the media way too often: coyote attacks. We are getting stories from all over the US about coyote populations getting out of control. There's a dog who has lost part of his leg, stories of missing cats, and other pet injuries all thanks to coyote attacks. Yet many local governments haven't hired trappers to deal with the problem, and we want to know why!

It is beginning to appear as though the life of a pet dog or cat is worth less than that of a coyote. Or are people scrambling to find a non-lethal way to control the populations? Whatever the case, coyotes attacks are on the rise and people don't seem to be realizing that trappers are the solution. (Trappers will also be the solution for this wild hog infestation in Georgia.)

While we are on the topic of trapping, Yukon trappers are set to have a good year (below) as very cold weather gives rise to hopes of prime pelts.

Vegans Unlucky in Love

Meanwhile vegans are having less of a good time, especially in love. Twenty-eight percent of singles said they wouldn't go out with a vegan. It doesn't come as a huge surprise to us, as you might end up with an animal rights activist, who will want to spend their weekends protesting outside IKEA or who will compare pig farming to the holocaust. These people simply aren't right in the head. And we particularly loathe this one, who says we shouldn't call vegans extremists while glossing over the fact that there are activists dishing out death threats to us omnivores.

And of course animal rights activists are behind the ridiculous decision by San Francisco's city council to "ban" fur. Let's keep "ban" in quotation marks, because local wild furs and used furs and shearling will still be sold, but it is a ridiculous decision nonetheless, and this article does a good job of highlighting both sides of this case.

SEE ALSO: Sheep fur: Pam Anderson hates it, Ralph Lauren loves it

Hypocrite Versace "Doesn't Feel Right"

Moving on to fashion, we've got good news and bad news. Starting with the bad, another hypocritical fashion company has decided to stop using fur. This time it is Versace, and according to Donatella Versace (their creative director), "It doesn't feel right" to kill animals for fashion. But strangely enough ... she will continue to sell leather, exotic skins, shearling, and silk. Do you smell a hypocrite?

SEE ALSO: Hypocrite profile: Stella McCartney

Some fashion companies' hypocritical decisions to stop using furry animals, but not leather-y animals is unlikely to have a big impact on the industry, as the customer continues to want to wear fur. They want colourful furs, like those of Charlotte Simone (pictured above), they want to wear fur at the racecourses, and they want fur-trimmed parkas. The Chinese have an especially big appetite for fur, in fact it's the biggest fur market in the world. Speaking of fur parkas, Yves Salomon, a famous furrier and maker of trendy fur parkas, had some great things to say about fur in this Forbes article.

Another big news story from March was that of plastics - in our oceans, in our drinking water, and in our food. Apparently microplastics are in bottled water, plastic fibers are filling our oceans, and larger pieces of plastic are forming islands in the oceans. It's a terrifying situation, and one culprit is all the synthetic clothing we're consuming. How about just sticking to the natural stuff?

SEE ALSO: Sustainable fur: Global campaign highlights benefits of real fur over plastic fake fur

Let's end the roundup with some notable links from last month.

This article about a family who adopted a pig from a shelter and then decided to eat it resulted in a vibrant discussion on Facebook. Our verdict? We have no problem with people eating pigs, even their own pigs, but we don't think it was very fair that the shelter spent time and resources nursing the pig back to health, only for it to be eaten.

It's not your typical costume department: here's what it's like working on the wardrobe team for the TV show Frontier (pictured above).

This Toronto chef has found an innovative way to deal with protesters in front of his restaurant: he decided to butcher and eat a deer leg in front of them. The best part? It has resulted in media coverage all over Canada and even in the US. Thanks to the animal rights activists, this restaurant is getting a ton of free press.

Chances are, if you have a fur coat, it’s got a story. Certain items of clothing are more than just coverage against the elements, they can have great significance, whether it be sentimental value, an interesting history, or some other meaning. Because of the cost and the long life of a fur garment, they are rarely a casual piece of clothing. When you ask people about their furs, most will have special stories about their pieces.

Today we are going to share a few of these fur coat stories, not only to highlight the importance of these valuable garments, but also to trace their history and their role in people’s lives. A long-lasting, good-quality fur coat is so much more than just an item of clothing. It can be a piece of family history, a symbol of an achievement, or a sentimental object.

Fur Is In Her Blood

"I would never have imagined that I would marry into a mink ranching family (in fact my sister and I married brothers!)," says Christy A Allen Mullen, from Weymouth, Nova Scotia. "Nor did I know, leading up to my marriage, that I would find out that my great-grandfather Kenny was a mink rancher in the 40’s.

"I begged for a mink coat for several years; my dream came true in 2010. I am now the proud owner of a 7/8 length Blackglama coat made from female skins from our farm. In the spring of 2017, I purchased a vintage Blue Iris coat in New Brunswick. My furrier in Montreal remodeled this into a beautiful new jacket that I could never have imagined owning! I wear my coats EVERYWHERE!! I have had many repairs done from being worn, and even had trim replaced because it was worn out. I am a proud ambassador of fur and our farm, everywhere I go!"

SEE ALSO: 5 great ways to recycle old fur clothing

A Family Living Off the Land

"I was gifted my mother’s fur coat, as so many have, when she was no longer wearing it," recalls Katie Ball, from Thunder Bay, Ontario. "This coat has much meaning to me. For one, my father trapped each red fox to make it. All 27 came from his trap line, and I remember being there while he collected some of these specific pelts.

"I am now the second trapper of this line, and I spend even more time with him on this land.

"But this isn’t the only reason why this coat is special; I was able to watch the skillful hands of Pirie create this coat from the ground up, for my mother. This is where the love of fur fashion spawned from for me at such a young age.

"I modeled for over 10 years but wanted to get into fashion and create my own items. Fur became that medium. I now own and run Silver Cedar Studio, creating items with furs from our trapline as well as others.

"This coat is a part of who I am. And continues to influence me daily in my passions and trade. Proud to be a trapper."

Winnipeg Winters

"When I earned my professional designation 18 years ago, my folks helped me buy a full length silver tipped raccoon coat with notched collar, puffed sleeves, and a detachable hood trimmed in silver fox," says Patricia Prohaska from Winnipeg.

"I take the bus to work and sometimes the bus does break down from the cold. Eighteen years of Winnipeg winters and bus rides to and from work and the coat still looks new. That coat means more to me than my car. I consider it the best investment I ever made - after my education.

"I have worn fur all my life - three of my aunts worked in the business as finishers. Mother nature by far provides the best insulation."

***

Do you have a fur coat, jacket, or hat that has a special place in your heart? A treasured hand-me-down or an item of fur clothing that kept you warm through cold times? Maybe it is a coat that you wore for 20 years, a scarf that you bought with your first paycheck, or a pair of fur gloves that kept your hands warm when you got lost in the snow? Have you remodelled a special old coat and turned it into a trendy jacket or a warm pillow for your home?

Please send your fur coat stories (max 300 words) to info@truthaboutfur.com, with an image. If you've got a good story but you don't want to write it then send us an email and we can call you and get your story over the phone.

It's time for our roundup of February's fur news stories, and it makes sense to start with the catwalk shows and the inevitable fashion week protests. With fashion shows come protesters, trying to push their animal rights agenda on the general public. As usual, their protests were chaotic and not very effective. One activist in London stormed a catwalk show that did not even contain any fur. Meanwhile, Dennis Basso (a designer best known for his furs) showed a beautifully furry collection, and Elle says that fur sweatshirts are now a thing (pictured). We can get on board with that.

WWD did an interesting interview with Tom Ford, who made it clear that he thought fake fur was very damaging for the environment (so why is he using it, then?), but claims that he will now only offer furs that are by-products of the meat industry. Let's see how long this new strategy lasts. His most interesting comment was that "I have a customer who is very used to wearing leather and fur; it’s a part of our business." It's the reason why brands keep coming back to fur: FUR SELLS.

And speaking of fur selling, Truth About Fur's blog post last week looked at the future of fur retailing, and how some stores are adapting their sales and marketing strategies to the modern consumer.

Proud Olympian

The Winter Olympics ended last week and we were thrilled when we heard that Samuel Girard, who won bronze in speed skating, is also a proud trapper. He's not alone in taking pride in what he does, of course: this trapper says trapping is nostalgic and "in his blood", while these trappers play a role in bobcat conservation and dealing with beaver issues. And trappers are also the ones who put the "fur" in Alaska's Fur Rondy - here's why. It's not all fun though. This is a terrifying story (with a happy ending) about a trapper whose snowmobile got stuck and was forced to spend the night outside in minus 50℃.

Sexual Harassment, Topless Women

There were some unexpected headlines involving animal rights activist groups last month. The Humane Society of the United States's CEO, Wayne Pacelle, resigned over sexual harassment claims. Apparently this is not unusual, in fact, it appears to be quite common in the animal rights movement. And yet these women go topless (pictured) at fashion week protests, and the movement continues to use degrading imagery of women in its campaigns. And, this certainly hasn't stopped these people accusing farmers of being rapists and sending them death threats. How about we take the sex, nudity, and harassment out of this argument, and argue our causes with facts? There's no doubt in our mind that vegans hurt their case by being too extreme, and the same could be said for the whole animal rights movement.

Here are a few more articles from February that are worth a read:

Fake fur is worse than real fur (duh).

Whales are being threatened by microplastics. (When will we stop with these horrible synthetic materials?)

A nude activist says she doesn't need clothes because animals don't have them. (This is even more ridiculous than the fashion week protests at fur-free shows.)

The ethics of killing animals is complicated (though you already knew that).

Try and avoid bringing your emotional support peacock on a flight. (He won't be allowed on the plane.)

RIP Alcide Giroux

Lastly, It is with a sad heart that we learned this week about the sudden passing of the legendary Canadian trapper, Alcide Giroux. Alcide (pictured above) was a leader in the development of humane trapping methods. He was also tireless in promoting recognition of trappers as true conservationists and front-line guardians of nature. Alcide learned his bushcraft from his Métis father, a man he liked to say had a GPS in his brain – and the man he credits with teaching him the importance of promoting respect and animal welfare in trapping. At a time when we are working to increase public understanding of the important role played by trappers in environmental conservation, we owe much to Alcide’s pioneering efforts as an important leader and spokesperson for the trapping community. Rest in peace, old friend.

It's our first news roundup of 2018 and we want to start off the year asking this question: fake fur vs real fur, which is better? Well, all of us fur lovers know the answer but sadly a lot of people think that fake fur is a good alternative to real fur. Those same people also tend to care about the environment and want to protest pipelines, so it was time to set them straight. That's why the International Fur Federation produced this excellent video, highlighting the dangers of plastic pollution from synthetic fabrics. Fake fur vs real fur - it is obvious that real fur is the better choice for the environment and our planet. (Interested in the history of fake fur? This is worth reading.)

Wild Fur Prices Up

Speaking of the environment, the stewards of the land (otherwise known as trappers) are seeing some increases in auction prices, both at the Thompson Fur Tables and the Fur Harvesters Auction (pictured). But trapping isn't just about making money, it is also about passing down skills from one generation to the next, managing wildlife populations, returning to rural roots, and living off the land.

The trapline may seem very far away from a fur store in Manhattan, but the two are quite connected. Unfortunately for the furriers of NYC, rising retail rents are forcing some independent businesses to close down. If that's not bad enough, thefts of fur coats are also a threat.

But retailers are used to weathering challenging times, and it is not all bad news. British retail trade magazine Drapers surveyed some premium retailers and many of them named fur items as some of their bestsellers over the holidays. Speaking of the Brits, British Vogue had a fur ad in its pages recently, and the activists were not impressed. Maybe the magazine is finally realising that its selective no-fur policy is quite hypocritical when it frequently features exotic skins, sheepskin, and leather.

Fur Trim Works

One of the main criticisms we hear from activists is that fur is often used as trims, and fur trims are not effective in keeping people warm. Finally, we have proof that this is not the case. There is a science behind why real fur hood trims are effective (pictured) and we explored that topic in a recent blog post about fur hood trims. That won't stop the activists trying to shut us down, but we hope that this war will be one of facts. Proof that fur trims are effective only strengthens our industry, and when it comes to fake fur vs real fur, the natural, biodegradable, sustainable option always wins.

Let's end this month's roundup with a few important news stories that caught our attention.

Here are ten organizations that you should never give donations to.

This Greenville fur company makes outfits for Hollywood.

Even if you are a vegetarian, you still have blood on your hands.

Let's talk about trophy hunting and conservation.

Here is what to do if you fall through the ice.

The fur industry is launching a global campaign to promote sustainable fur, and the environmental benefits of using real fur over petroleum-based synthetics, including fake fur.

A hard-hitting video produced by the International Fur Federation is being launched in key markets around the world. In the accompanying press release, Mark Oaten, CEO of the IFF said: “It’s time to call out the fake news about fake fur.” Fake fur is being promoted by animal activist groups as the ethical alternative to real fur.

Sustainable Fur, the campaign video, shows the environmental damage that is being caused by plastic-based fake fur and other synthetics. In North America, the video was prominently promoted on the website of Women’s Wear Daily for a week, before being distributed more widely. In addition to Canada and the US, the video is being promoted in China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, Russia, Argentina, Brazil, and throughout Europe.

“Natural fur is the responsible choice when compared with fake fur or other synthetics,” said Mark Oaten.

“The consumer is being fed a constant diet of fake news by activists when it comes to fake fur,” he said. “Meanwhile, scientists are warning that plastics should be eliminated as much as possible from the retail chain.”

The video shows how fake furs and other synthetics are creating major environmental problems because they are made from fossil fuels (non-renewable resources) and are being linked to the release of microfibers into the environment.

“These are plastics that take decades to biodegrade – if they biodegrade at all – and we are now learning that they are entering the food chain and being consumed by marine life, and eventually by us,” said Oaten.

“Real fur is the sustainable alternative. It is natural and provides decades of use for the consumer.”

The video explains that farmed fur animals (primarily mink and fox) are fed left-overs from our own food supply – the parts of fish, pigs and chickens that humans don’t eat. The manure and other wastes from fur farming are composted to provide bio-fuels or natural fertilizers, completing the agricultural nutrient cycle. This is a much more sustainable and ethical alternative than dumping such wastes in landfills.

SEE ALSO: Fur farming: Nothing is wasted, at Truth About Fur

The production of wild fur is strictly regulated to ensure that only part of the naturally-produced surplus from abundant populations are used. This is an excellent example of the sustainable and responsible use of renewable natural resources, a key environmental conservation principle promoted by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and other conservation authorities.

Many furbearing species must be culled to protect property, livestock, natural habitat and endangered prey species, or even human health, whether or not we use fur. Overpopulated beavers can flood farmland, forests, roads or homes. Overpopulated raccoons and foxes can promote the spread of rabies or other dangerous diseases. Coyotes are the number-one predator of young calves and lambs on ranches. Coyotes, raccoons and foxes must be controlled to protect vulnerable populations of ground-nesting birds and the eggs of endangered sea turtles.

SEE ALSO: Reasons we trap, at Truth About Fur

The new video campaign is being released as the fashion industry and consumers are beginning to discuss more seriously the environmental impact of our clothing choices. The confusion caused by animal activist campaigns became apparent when Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri recently announced that his company would stop using fur “because of their commitment to sustainability”. As Truth About Fur explained in "Fur-free Gucci policy contradicts company's 'sustainability' claims", the brand's decision to turn away from fur reveals an astonishing misunderstanding of the real meaning of sustainability.

SEE ALSO: Sustainability: Why is Gucci so confused?

The first major campaign to promote the fur trade’s important sustainability credentials was launched by the pioneering website Furisgreen.com. This website has attracted considerable media attention, helping to spread the message. It is expected that the new IFF Sustainable Fur video will also generate media interest in response to press releases that were distributed simultaneously in North America, Europe and Asia.

Help to Share the Message

To help spread the message, retailers, manufacturers and people in every sector of the fur and fashion industries are being encouraged to post the new IFF Sustainable Fur video on their websites and Facebook pages.

“At a time when consumers are becoming more interested in understanding the environmental impact of what we buy and wear, we have an excellent opportunity to explain why fur is a sustainable and responsible choice,” said Teresa Eloy, Managing Director of the Fur Council of Canada.

“This video presents some important facts about the environmental credentials of fur in a succinct and easy-to-understand way,” said Keith Kaplan, of the Fur Information Council of America. “This is an exciting campaign and we are encouraging retailers across the country to post and share this hard-hitting video.”

It's our first news roundup of 2018 so let's review the fur headlines from December, including stories about sheep fur, farmers speaking up, and activists up to no good.

Let's start with fashion. December saw the showing of the Pre-Fall 2018 collections, which were jam-packed with fur, and proof that Gucci and Michael Kors' announcements are not a trend that is industry-wide. China has a huge appetite for the luxury material and we are seeing pro-fur stories in the fashion media and in opinion pieces. Whether you are looking for a fur coat, a trapper hat, or fur slides, there's something for everyone.

But the fashion media aren't all fur-savvy. A Vogue writer, Emily Farra, thought that sheepskin did not require the animals' pelts, so we decided to write up a piece about sheep fur. Also known as sheepskin or shearling, sheep fur is not wool, and uses the animals' skin and hair. Pamela Anderson is one of many people who didn't realise that sheepskin actually used sheep's skin, and now she is busy campaigning to get the Kardashians to give up fur. We are sure they will be willing to do it, for an hour or so.

The confusion about sheepskin and sheep fur raises questions about how far removed people are from animal husbandry and how farming works. An article entitled "The gulf between farmers and the people they feed is getting dangerously wide" is an excellent piece exploring this very concept – which has wide repercussions given that we all depend on farming for survival. This young British farmer has been very vocal about the fact that farmers "will always be here.(pictured)" And right she is, farming is such an important industry and animal rights activists have very little understanding of how it works. Speaking of how farming works, we loved this article about how mink farmers are using manure as biofuel.

Positive Trapping Stories

Farmers and trappers don't often work side by side, but here's an example of how farmers are trying to preserve a trapping programme, in order to protect their livestock. It's one of many positive trapping stories from last month, including this feature on a passionate trapper, this article about how it is great to be in the woods, and this piece that breaks down the misconceptions of trapping. On the news front, we were happy to hear that wild fur buyers in Nebraska have been busy, people are waking up to the opportunities of nutria, and the Thompson fur table is doing a bustling trade.

There's less good news from the protest front lines.  This Mother Jones piece exposes how activists are willing to take more risks to push their agendas. From death threats to homesteaders, startling ponies carrying children, declaring war on macaroni and cheese, and threatening hunters, it is clear they will stop at nothing to fight their often ridiculous and hypocritical causes. We highlighted some of this hypocrisy in a recent blog post, where we explained that being anti-fur and anti-pipeline (pictured) is actually quite contradictory. But despite their threats, their inability to distinguish between sheep fur and wool, or their ridiculous hunger strikes, people are beginning to question whether animal rights are unconstitutional, and if veganism is culturally insensitive.

Let's end December's roundup with a few stories that caught our attention last month:

The Russians are doing it better - at least when it comes to fur education for kids.

Sea Shepherd have given up fighting the Japanese whalers.

If you are disposing of a Christmas tree this week, pat yourself on the back. Like fur, it is way better to shop real than fake.

And grocery shopping can be more dangerous than you think. (pictured)

In the world of fashion, the headlines keep on coming about a confused Gucci following the announcement that it would be dropping fur in the name of "sustainability". Truth About Fur tries to explain how Gucci could so misunderstand the meaning of "sustainability", while Fur Europe has produced a graphic explanation of the sustainability of "Circular Fashion" that hopefully Gucci can comprehend.

Meanwhile, Vogue (UK) magazine ran a doting one-sided interview with confused Gucci's new handler, the Humane Society of the US. The big question now is whether Vogue and Gucci understand HSUS's true agenda, which is not animal welfare but animal rights. One man, Gucci CEO Marco Bizzarri, must know what's going on since he used to work for vegan designer (and killer of silkworms) Stella McCartney.

Can we now look forward to Bizzarri, cheered on by HSUS, phasing out leather, shearling, and python farmed by Gucci's parent company, Kering, in Thailand?

Protest Season

November is the time of year when anti-fur protesters kick into high gear, but with the concerns of historical protests (sustainability and animal welfare) having been addressed (at least in the view of the fur trade), Truth About Fur asks whether the current crop are now rebels without a cause.

Meanwhile Stella McCartney's dad, Beatle and animal rightist Paul, turns out to be a Canada Goose fan. Perhaps he didn't get the memo about the stink activists are kicking up outside Canada Goose's new London store, for using coyote trim on its parkas stuffed with goose down. Campaigners have also been targeting Canada Goose's New York store, among them one Jabari Brisport. Who? Brisport is running for office on New York's City Council, and, if elected, will fight to ban fur sales in the city.

Another pop star who doesn't seem confused at all is Pretenders vocalist Chrissie Hynde. The committed vegetarian calls the modern-day animal rights movement "tyrannical", adding: "It’s almost on the verge of polarising people rather than mobilising them, because people have this almost messiah or jihad complex: if you don’t do it the way we want you to, we’ll kill you."

Pest Control

Louisiana is known for its invasive nutria, and now the "swamp rats" will star in an upcoming documentary, Rodents of Unusual Size. "Stopping the nutrias is mission: impossible," says one trapper. "The good Lord couldn't get rid of 'em." (Well, perhaps not impossible. They were successfully eradicated in the UK.)

Toronto, meanwhile, has two pests to deal with. It has more than enough raccoons, but now the city's Wildlife Centre wants to make trapping illegal in the city. Meanwhile, animal rightists (the other pest) are cranking up their efforts to destroy Inuit culture. The Guardian reports that the temperature is being turned up primarily over the eating of seal meat, but animal rightists also want to end the traditional deer hunt.

Animal activist pests in the US, who released 2,000 mink from a farm in Illinois in 2013, have had their sentences upheld and their appeal not to be branded terrorists under the law rejected.

And perennial pest Pamela Anderson had another hissy fit over Naomi Campbell's full-length fox coat, and sent Kim Kardashian a fake fur for Christmas. We're sure Naomi and Kim don't care what Pamela thinks of fur, but it's easy headlines.

Last but definitely not least – and not in any way related to pests – a special mention is in order for Maryland furrier Mano Swartz, who presented a veteran with 25 years of service with a mink coat valued at $8,000. The tradition of taking care of veterans goes back to owner Richard Swartz's great grandfather. Good job, Richard!

One of the most talked-about fur stories last month was the Gucci news that the brand would be dropping fur. It was surprising because Gucci has had great success selling fur (remember its kangaroo fur loafers?), but the fur industry has shrugged it off as sales are currently "strong and robust". Still, people are perplexed at the key reason Gucci gave for its decision: "sustainability". In Gucci's alternative universe, fake fur made from petroleum that pollutes the environment and doesn't biodegrade is more "sustainable" than the renewable, biodegradable resource that is real fur.

Here are some of the articles covering the perplexing Gucci news: the International Fur Federation asks why Gucci wants to choke the world with plastic, the Globe and Mail looked into the potential impact on Canadian trappers, and Truth About Fur dissected Gucci's "bizarre" interpretation of sustainability.

And while Gucci claims that millennials, who account for almost half its market, are against fur, this Business of Fashion article (above) talks about how this generation may actually be the one to boost the fur trade. If you want to delve into this further, Truth About Fur has a new blog post adding clarity to the relationship between fashion and the fur trade.

Seal on the Menu

Just as illogical as Gucci's reason for dropping fur has been activists' campaigns against the growing number of restaurants serving seal meat. Their latest target is the indigenous restaurant Kukum Kitchen in Toronto (above). The people of Toronto like eating meat as much as anyone, and no one bats an eyelid at steakhouses or burger joints. But put seal on the menu, and the activists go into meltdown.

Or maybe it's just that general anti-meat protests are hard to take seriously, like this one of PETAphiles dressing up like scary clowns.

Meanwhile there's been the usual steady flow of news articles discrediting activist campaigns, like this one talking about PETA's kill rates, and this one debunking the idea that sheep can live without being sheared. If you have a business that is at risk of getting targeted by activists, check out Truth About Fur's guide to dealing with protesters, in person and on-line.

Wild Fur News

In the world of trapping and wild fur, a big Canadian story is the Royal Canadian Mounted Police's demand for 4,470 muskrat hats (below). Alan Herscovici, part of our team here at Truth About Fur, discussed the issues surrounding this story on the radio.

Wild animals are causing problems in several areas. Coyotes in the Yakima Valley need to be controlled, as do the deer on Staten Island. (Surprise, surprise, the deer vasectomy program didn't work.) Rather than spend money trying to sterilise these animals or find other strange ways to control the populations, we like the idea of starting a state-controlled company that sells the fur from pest and nuisance animals.

Interested in getting involved in conservation? Let's end this month's roundup with this great article on how we can all get involved in protecting our environment, and some nice animals on camera. Our favourite live cam right now is the the bison cam, which is following a herd of bison in Saskatchewan.

Let's start this month's roundup on a serious note – polluted water is serious, right? – and talk about synthetic fibres. Activists constantly promote fake fur as an alternative to real fur, but it is not a viable alternative. It doesn't keep you as warm, it doesn't feel as good, and it doesn't last as long. But worst of all, it is made from petroleum by-products, and synthetic fabrics are responsible for microplastic contamination in our food, in our water, and in the air. We are literally breathing in plastic pollution from synthetic clothing, and activists are still wasting their time protesting fur.

Speaking of activists doing stupid things, these Buddhist monks were fined for releasing lobsters into the ocean, because the creatures are now threatening the entire ecosystem. (They were not native to the area.) So now we are seeing not only microplastics in the polluted water, but destructive lobsters too.

This group stole a bunch of chickens from a small family farm – let's hope they are jailed. Other animal rights shenanigans from last month include Pamela Anderson's email to Canada Goose staff asking them to stop using fur (they've declined to do so), and these fashion week protests where activists were spitting on people (and the victims weren't even wearing fur).

PETA has turned its attention to attacking the wool industry (pictured), but as this writer explains, shearing sheep is absolutely necessary and the activists don't know what they are talking about. It's nice to see the Huffington Post taking a break from its animal rights coverage to publish a piece about how the movement is hurting people to protect animals. We're no stranger to fighting off the AR's, and our senior researcher wrote a piece recently about his years of fighting the anti-fur activists.

Trapping Not Harmful to Animal Populations

While California is trying to ban all commercial trapping (a bad idea for a state that sees frequent coyote attacks on pets), we've published a piece on how animals that are trapped commercially have very healthy populations – proof that regulated trapping does not negatively affect animal numbers. That said, we do think that trapping is best done out in nature, not from your sofa.

We were happy to hear that seal meat is back on the menu in Canada, this time in Montreal, and that one of fashion week's most talked-about celebrity outfits featured a fur coat.

Speaking of fur coats, these Canadian mink farmers are organising a winter coat drive – adding to the mountain of evidence we have that fur farmers aren't the evil people activists make them out to be. But then activists don't talk to farmers or visit farms, and as this writer explains, visiting a fur farm can only change your perception of fur farming for the better.

Let's end this roundup with a few of the other surprising stories we read last month (though nothing is as shocking as the microplastic-polluted water and air story we mentioned above):

Someone is trying to grow leather using biotechnology (and no animals).

Someone else is trying to make animal-free meat (pictured).

Hunters and vegans have a few things in common. (Trust us, this is a good read.)

And lastly, the least surprising story of the month: a feature on why people gave up veganism. (Hint: it's because they didn't feel well on a plant-based diet.)

Game of Thrones costumes are dominating fashion media right now, so it's a good way to start our round-up of fur news from August. Set against a backdrop of ice and snow, the medieval fantasy epic inevitably features lots of furs, but they aren't necessarily expensive pelts. In fact, some of the capes are made from Ikea rugs! That's clearly not the case, though, with this spectacular coat (pictured), made from a combination of real fur and fake.

If you aren't into wearing full-length coats or rugs, then how about accessories? We love these Wild and Woolly fur iPhone cases and are very excited to see that fur shoes are still making waves. In fact, one of the best-known fur brands, known for its spectacular fur accessories, is opening its first San Francisco store.

Animal rights activists have been busy (no rest for the wicked – literally). PETA launched an anti-hunting campaign that backfired on them, they are claiming cheese is a symbol of rape, and they had to apologize for stealing and killing a girl's pet dog. At a conference this summer, the activists discussed their change of tactics: go after companies instead of individuals, which unfortunately has had some success for them. But they aren't always able to get much traction outside of the digital world, as this article suggests.

We are frankly fed up with their hateful campaigns and their attack on our rights. They need to be called out for what they are: hate groups.

On the bright side, they sometimes prove to be their own worst enemy. A recent study showed that aggressive vegans make people want to eat more meat, and that one-third of vegetarians eat meat when they are drunk. It's time to spike their punch!

Trapping Pests

Speaking of bad smells ... the skunk population of Fox Valley, Illinois is exploding and low pelt prices are not helping. Concerned about the possibility of rabies, residents are raising a stink. And in nearby Macoupin County, there's the same problem but with raccoons. Louisiana is dealing with its own pest problem and is looking for trappers to help control the nutria population.

These stories truly highlight the role of the trapper in pest control, but what about conservation? A post on our blog asks whether trappers are conservation’s “black sheep” or unsung heroes.

For History Buffs

Fur trade history stories continue to be in the media, following the celebration of Canada's 150th anniversary of Confederation in July. This boat is doing a 100-kilometre trip to re-trace the routes from the days of the Canadian fur trade, and the people of Southampton have been celebrating Métis history and its role in Canada's fur trade history. This trapper reminisces on his trapping days and how it was educational and profitable.

If you're a history buff then this 19th-century fur trade diary (pictured), recently acquired by the University of British Columbia, is going to be a fascinating read. If you're interested in historical fashion that's a bit more accurate than the Game of Thrones costumes, you'll wish you'd visited this "Fur Trade Fashions" show.

Let's end by dispelling a few myths for you.

• Myth #1: Furbearers aren't eaten after their fur is taken. This is absolutely not true, and our latest blog post lists the top 5 tasty furbearers.
• Myth #2: The big animal charities are helping animals who've been displaced after Hurricane Harvey. We've got reason to believe that the big charities are using the disaster to line their pockets, but not to help on the ground. If you want to help animals, always give to local charities.
• Myth #3: Fur supporters are all conservative. This is an important issue which we tackled in a recent blog post: "Fur fans are conservative AND liberal". Let's not alienate our potential friends; leave politics out of the fur argument.

The team at Truth About Fur has over 50 years of collective experience in the fur trade and we can confirm that a communications role in this field is not for the faint-hearted. It is a job where we are often on the defense, regularly need to react at the speed of light, and work with a fraction of the budgets available to our critics. We’ve been called every name in the book and yet, day after day, we come back to our desks and do our best to defend and promote this trade that we love. But lately, we are feeling a bit discouraged and, surprisingly, it’s not because of activist insults. It’s because, all too often, we see our own supporters – fur fans who are supposedly on our side – making statements that are directly hurting our industry.

To promote our industry, we explain the environmental credentials and other positive contributions of the fur trade. And while we aim to be a positive voice for our trade, we also know that discrediting the animal extremists who mislead the public about fur is part of the job. But one thing we don’t do is insult the very people we are trying to educate – consumers, media, political leaders. And yet, all too often on our social media channels, our “supporters” insult potential fur customers or fur fans by endorsing a very simplistic and erroneous vision of the battle lines in this difficult discussion.

Fur Fans Aren't All Conservative

There’s a common misconception that the people who support the fur trade are all “conservative” when it comes to politics. This simply is not true. While we have a great deal of support from conservatives, we know that many “center” and “left-leaning” people also support our trade. These people may be considered by some to be "liberals" or “tree huggers” but they believe that an industry that relies on the sustainable use of natural resources is the way forward for our planet.

There is also a misconception that the people who are anti-fur are all liberal. That is also wrong. Our social media team often checks the Facebook profiles of people leaving negative comments on our page. Many of them do show what could be considered politically liberal content. But many others show conservative content –including pro-Trump messages and support for the NRA.

So what does that say about the people who are pro-fur, and those who are against? It demonstrates that politics do not necessarily define a person’s understanding of our trade.

Even more importantly, we need to think about how we can make our industry and fur products attractive to more people. What kind of people? All of them. We already have considerable “right wing” support, it’s true, but there are still many who have not understood our message. And the liberals? We need them too! We need their support and we know it is ripe for the taking. The ethics and environmental benefits of our trade are attractive to so many people who consider themselves to be liberals. Many of them love the concept of living off the land, of using sustainable resources, and of buying good quality items that last a lifetime. There are many that could become fur fans with the right message.

It doesn’t take a genius to figure out that we are going to be stronger with more support. And given that North America is pretty much divided down the middle in terms of liberals and conservatives – it would be crazy to alienate either of those groups.

Our Cause is Stronger without Insults

If you think about it, it's not a formula for success to insult half the population on a page that is vying for their support. Just because an animal activist does something stupid, doesn’t mean that all liberals are to blame. And using works like “libt*rd” to describe the activists, who represent a very, very small percent of the population, is never going to help us to win over the majority of society. Even though many trappers and hunters may vote Republican, many potential consumers may identify differently. Why would we want to shut them out?

It would be wrong to say that politics doesn’t have a place on this page, because part of our job is to be aware of legislation that affects our trade and to ensure that politicians continue to support our industry. And research does show that more Republicans than Democrats believe that it is morally acceptable to use fur. But there is no place in this battle for insults about people’s political persuasions. Fact is, we often find excellent articles about the fur trade in left-of-center media and we have many supporters who lean left when it comes to politics. The activists are already aware that "animal rights" transcends tradition political labels: they now discuss how they can convert conservatives to their cause (let's make sure this never happens.)

So unless you are trying to sabotage our industry, please think twice about lashing out with simplistic political insults. Imagine a liberal coming to our page who is interested in learning about the how trapping works or the environmental benefits of wearing real fur – only to find themselves berated as “libt*rds”, tree huggers, snowflakes, and “lefties”. Do you think such rants will bring us new allies? What will newcomers to our page think if they encounter such language?

Truth About Fur Is Run by a Diverse Team

The trash talk is not just hurting our image, it is also hurting us. Truth About Fur is produced by a small team that includes what many would consider to be tree-huggers and (gasp) liberals (see Lefty Tree-Lover Catches Fur Bug). Our team and supporters include Muslims, Jews, and atheists; pro-choice campaigners, people of colour, and immigrants. We aren’t here to push our political or religious agendas, we are here to support the trade. So please: let's put politics aside and work together to create a space where everyone who appreciates fur, trappers, farmers, living off the land, and sustainability can feel welcome and help us to support this remarkable heritage industry.

July means Paris Fashion Week, and our friends at FurInsider.com did us all proud with six installments of commentary and glamorous pics of haute couture. Fur was plentiful, and hardly seems to raise an eyebrow these days – which is a good thing! Enjoy also Vogue's coverage of Fendi's haute fourrure show. Also abuzz with fur were the catwalks at FashionClash in the Netherlands.

And fur fashion has received some boosts from less-expected sources. Selfies of people in real fur are booming on Instagram, and UFC brawler Conor McGregor is a big fan of mink. Let's hope he wears this outfit when he battles boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. on Aug. 26!

Still on fashion, we published a blog post on the fur policy at Net-A-Porter. This on-line fashion retailer sells a lot of animal products (leather, suede, shearling, etc.), but – hypocritically, we say – not fur. PETA put the word out like it's a major shift in policy, but it's not. It hasn't sold fur for years.

On the down side, former "supermodel" Gisele Bündchen has chosen to endorse petrochemical fur over the real deal. "All great designers now do beautiful #fakefur," she wrote on Instagram, even though it's patently untrue.

Trapping Know-How

It's the quiet season for trappers, so it's good there's been no shortage of reading material. A must-read for Canadian trappers is the latest list of certified traps from the Fur Institute of Canada.

The Live Free & Trap blog, out of New Hampshire, produced a magnum opus, "Rise of the dumpster cats", on the state's growing bobcat population and the conflict it's creating. And talking of bobcats, a controversial new report says management doesn't take sufficient account of bobcats' value to ecotourism. A dissenting biologist says: “Just because somebody traps a bobcat doesn’t mean that the particular bobcat was a bobcat that was going to be viewed by a tourist ...”

Bears are in the news too, with animal rights groups all in a flap over the delisting of grizzly bears in Yellowstone. On July 31, Montana, Wyoming and Idaho assumed primary responsibility for their grizzlies from the US Fish and Wildlife Service.

The Duluth News Tribune told us how researchers use foothold traps to monitor wolves (see above), and Trapping Today explained why the prices of furbearers vary not only by size and species, but also where they were trapped.

History buffs should eagerly anticipate the story of Hugh Kroetsch, employee of Hudson's Bay Company back in the 1950s, in an upcoming documentary called Last of the Fur Traders. And if you really want to get down and dirty, you might want to go rendezvous camping. Here's how to get started.

In local news: dog walkers in Erie, Pennsylvania have learned why it's not a great idea to feed coyotes; in Alberta, coyotes have been found with a tapeworm that is deadly to humans if untreated; and marten may be making a come-back in Cape Breton, Nova Scotia.

Fur Farming News

Fans of facts will want to check out the latest annual report on mink farming from the US Department of Agriculture.

We hope you will also learn from our blog post "Versatile mink oil: An under-appreciated resource". As chance would have it, there was also an excellent piece on how a mink farmer in Iceland uses his oil. Mink oil cosmetics were once all the rage. Is it time for a comeback?

In decidedly bad news, animal rights terrorists are presumed to be behind the release of 30,000+ mink from a farm in Minnesota. Thousands of the animals "freed" in this misguided act died shortly after. The reward for information leading to arrests now stands at $11,000.

Bits 'n' Bobs

We're always saying there's no contradiction in being an animal lover and a fur lover, and Aussie "socialite" Shane Pavlinovich certainly agrees! The "eccentric jewellery designer" loves vintage and ethically sourced fur hats, coats and scarves, teamed with "extravagant pearl necklaces".

And let's wrap up with a story that seems like a bit of fun but is actually not funny at all. Wildlife photographer Dave Slater is in a legal battle over some selfie pics taken with his camera by some macaque monkeys. We'd share one of the amazing pics, but it's all about copyright. Of course, PETA's involved!