Saturday, May 30, 2009

What To Do With An Old Fur Coat

Thankfully you will not be seeing this now that the weather is getting warm. Why do people wear animal fur anyway? In the old days, people wore it to stay warm but now there are many different types of man-made materials that can keep people just as warm if not warmer. Today people generally wear fur coats to make a fashion statement. What? A fashion statement? Animal fur belongs on animals, not on people!

You may have a fur coat that was left to you by your grandma or mother and if you don't want to wear it, what will you do with it? Mom has an animal piece that her mother wore around her neck back in the day. It's not a jacket, but more like a scarf. It even has a the head and all four feet on it - yuk! Mom has it hidden away because she cannot look at it, but she never knew what to do with it until now.
There are programs out there that will make bears out of fur coats, but I really see this as promoting fur and fur products. The Humane Society of the United States has a really neat program that uses old fur coats that people no longer want. The program is called Coats for Cubs and the fur is used to aid and comfort injured and orphaned wildlife. How cool is that? Mom used to volunteer at a wildlife rescue a few years ago and they never had furs for their animals in need. Mom could have used some fur to comfort all the little squirrels and opossums that she helped rehabilitate back into the wild.

All the furs that The HSUS receives are sent to wildlife rehabilitators and more than 200 rehabilitators across the United States and Canada participate in the program. Furs are cut into sizes appropriate for the animal in need and placed inside the animal's enclosure. According to The HSUS website, the furry blanket becomes a surrogate mother to the orphaned animals, thus reducing stress and providing comfort. All types of animals have benefited from the furs including bobcats, foxes, raccoons, squirrels, and rabbits.

If you have a fur to donate, The HSUS has made it so easy for you. First, place the fur in a sturdy box and then mail it to them. In addition to coats and jackets, they also accept fur trims and fur accessories such as hats, gloves, and muffs. They will even send you a letter of thanks once they have received your fur (if you ask for one) and this letter can be used to claim the donation as a tax deduction.

I love my fur and I hope no one ever tries to take it off of me. I need it to stay warm and so do all my little animal friends. Please don't wear fur and please encourage those around you to stay fur-free. Donating old furs to The HSUS will help out my little animal friends and that will make me very happy.

6 comments:

Tweedles -- that's me said...

Stubby
I love you!
I just ran over here and finally got your site on my roll now- bloggie has been cranky!
I wanted to thank you for coming to visit me. And I agree with you about fur being worn, and what a great story that it can benefit poor little abondanded animals.
I love your site and I think you are adorable.
Long live the animals!
Come back again
love
tweedles

Hank said...

Stub, buddy....now THAT is a great idea the HSUS has there. Thanks fer lettin' us know.

I understand yer gonna be at the Indy Pug Meetup next weekend. We won't be there since mom is workin' at Pugapalooza in KY. Dang it! Me and Molly woulda loved to see ya.

Stubby said...

Tweedles - I love you too! When I read your stories it feels like I am right there with you. You make everything you describe come alive and you are truly a gifted little pug storyteller.

Stubby xoxo

Stubby said...

Hank - Too bad that I can't meet you and Molly next week, but that will give me an excuse to come back down to Indy. I am super excited to meet all the Indy puggies that will be at the meetup because they all seem so cool.

Tell your mom to have a great time at Pugapalooza!

Stubby xoxo

The Devil Dog said...

Stubby, my mom and dad use their bags every week when they go grocery shopping. If my mom forgets hers, she doesn't take a plastic bag from the store.
That is really neat about the fur coats. As for not being able to jump onto the stoop, mom used to carry Bridget & Muffie, the pugs who came before, up and down the stairs when they got to old to handle them. Mom said it was the least she could do for all the love they gave her.

Roxy

Unknown said...

Stubby - you and your mom never cease to amaze me. Where do you get all this great information from??? We just love coming and reading about something new and wonderful everyday on your site. Have a wonderful vacation!