The Perfect Bathing Suit

The Illegal Fur Trade: Don't Go To Prison For Your Coat

24 May 2014

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Despite several laws that ban and restrict the import of illegal furs, sometimes the pelts of endangered animals are smuggled past customs.  Furriers endanger their own businesses and furrier licenses by selling these pelts and coats, which is why consumers need to be smarter about what they buy.  If you find that your new fur coat isn't what your furrier told you it was, and you are caught by a government official, you could face prison time.  Do not go to jail over a coat; learn what is legal to buy and wear and what is not.

Furs That Are Perfectly Legal to Own and Wear

The first rule of thumb you need to know when buying and wearing fur is this: the more common the animal, the safer your purchase and ownership.  Better yet, if you can verify that the pelts that made your fur garment came from farm-raised animals and not wild animals, you are as legally safe as you can be.  The following animals contribute their hides to the fur trade, and you cannot go to prison for owning or wearing them.

• Rabbit
• Chinchilla
• Beaver
• Bear
• Fox
• Ermine/Stoat
• Raccoon
• Opossum

Furs That Are Illegal to Purchase and Own in the U.S.

Despite their exotic beauty and attraction, pelts from animals in foreign lands are often the result of poachers and illegal hunting activities.  You should avoid these furs at all costs, even if you have enough wealth to buy them in the first place.  The U.S. government punish you with fines and prison time.  

• Tiger
• Leopard
• Black Leopard or Panther
• Lion
• Giraffe 
• Ocelot
• Otter
• Gorilla, monkey or ape
• Domestic dog and cat
• Wolf
• Bobcat
• Fisher/Marten
• Any fur that is obtained illegally, through poaching or out-of-season hunting, is also grounds for a federal case against you.

Additional Ways to Protect Yourself Against Illegal Fur

Buy only from reputable furriers, not from someone selling furs out of an abandoned warehouse or off the back of a supply truck.  Ask to see the furriers' license and always ask to see what furs make up the items you want to buy.  The cheaper the fur coat, the more likely it is either low quality composite fur or it is part of an illegal sale.  Composite means that multiple different animals gave up their coats to create a single coat for a consumer.  These are the cheapest coats money can buy, next to illegal furs. For more information on purchasing furs legally, visit The Mink Barn.

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