Great question and I am happy to discuss it or even debate it. First let me state that I am totally against animal cruelty especially for somthing as superfical as fashion!
I'm going to get long winded here, but I can't help it. I know that everyone has different opinions about animal cruelty either due to ignorance, selfishness or just plain not caring. I also know that if each person would educate themselves that they could find a level of animal cruelty or cruelty prevention that they are comfortable with. It is a tough debate and a fine line to walk. Everyone even just 1 single person can help to make a difference.
It is very very tough to go 100% animal free and cruelty free. It takes a very committed and unselfish person to do this. (think Gwenth Paltrow, Linda,Paul & Stella McCarthy, Joquien Pheonix, etc.) They do not eat or use any animal products whatsoever. Just because a person can not or does not want to go to this extreme does'nt mean that they can't still make an effort to be cruelty free or to stand up and make some type of statement.
It is hard to explain, here are some personal examples: I would not eat Tuna when all of the dolphins were being caught in the tuna nets,suffocating and dying). Now the Tuna industry is monitored and you can buy "dolphin safe" tuna, I'll buy it. I feel better knowing that because so many people like me banned buying tuna, it made it a little safer for the dolphins. See the line here? (not to split hairs or to pat myself to much on the back as actually hundreds or thousands of dolphins still needlessly die each year as the dolphin safe tuna only means that they will not kill more than xxx amount of dolphins each year wihile trying to get the tuna.)
I left a nice paying job in Oil & Gas to work for FREE at an exotic animal sanctuary and let me tell you, it is so worth it to be able to give something back! I personally do not eat beef, use products that are tested on animals (to the best of my knowledge) or eat in a restaurant that serves Veal (so horrible inhumanely treated - but that's another story) I will not buy fur or wear anything that has fur on it! Fur is the most cruel and selfish thing I can imagine wearing! I think that people that have to go to that length to prove themselves, to impress others or (in their opinion) to look glamourous just screams to me "Hey, look at me, I can afford to wear dead animals on my back that were tortured their entire life just for a coat for me! to wear" So sad and so selfish! To the arguement that (ignorant, selfish or self centered people make) "well that is what they were raised for", These animal are tourtured and misrable their entire life. they are over bred, living in wire bottom cages barely large enough for them to lie down or turn around, not much a of life, is it? Then a metal prod is shoved up their butt and they are electracuted till dead! There is not way that this can be considered anything but cruel as this animal is tortured its entire life!
At least with cattle, they do live a comfortable and normal life in their natural enviroment until they are slaughtered. Also with cattle, the entire cow is put to use and not just wasted. We eat the beef, leather is made from the hides, hooves and horns can be used a dog treats, I think that fat is used for candles and soap and whatever is left over can be ground up and made into herferd logs to feed other carnivors. (This is what the Tigers, Lions, Leopards and Cougars I take care of eat as their main staple.) With this reasoning, I do use leather products.
Now that the entire cow is used and not wasted, there are some cases where and when a baby calf is raised and slaughtered just for its hide the really soft thin supple kind. Usually the "European" leather is much more expensive, this used to be because here in the US we use Barb wire which will leave scars on the cow and then the hide and leather.
So I guess I have made some people be able to justify or feel better about using leather products, I hope that I have also discouraged people from buying, wearing or using fur!
