California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a law that prohibits the manufacture and sale of new products made from animal fur in the state. The bill passed California’s state legislature this September, and was signed by Governor Newsom on Oct. 12. It will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2023. The ban is one of the many steps he is taking to promote the welfare of animals.

There are several exemptions to the new law. In the new law, “fur” is defined as “animal skin or part thereof with hair, fleece, or fur fibers attached thereto, either in its raw or processed state.” Used fur products, fur products used for traditional purposes by members of Native American tribes, and fur products used for religious reasons may be sold. Additionally, the law does not prohibit the sale of non-fur animal products such as leather and animal hides that will be converted into leather. Cowhide, sheepskin, deerskin, and goatskin are the only animal hides that may be sold with fur attached to them. 

The bill was created in December 2018 by California State Assembly member Laura Friedman, who represents the cities of Glendale, Burbank, La Cañada Flintridge, and areas of Los Angeles. Friedman declared that California is “a world leader in animal welfare” and “will not continue to be complicit in unnecessary cruelty towards animals solely for the sake of fur.” 

The new law received praise from the Humane Society of the United States, one of the groups that helped to back it. The organization highlighted the law’s importance, stating, “The fur industry causes the suffering and death of more than 100 million animals worldwide each year.” It added that it was “thankful [to] Governor Newsom for signing these bills and all the lawmakers who voted for them.”

The fur ban is only part of Governor Newsom’s plan to promote animal welfare. On the same day, the governor signed several other laws protecting both wild and domestic animals. He said, “California is a leader when it comes to animal welfare and today that leadership includes banning the sale of fur… But we are doing more than that. We are making a statement to the world that beautiful wild animals like bears and tigers have no place on trapeze wires or jumping through flames.” 

Other laws passed include a ban on the use of wild animals in circuses, a ban on the trade of some animal parts, rules to protect horses from slaughter, and a temporary prohibition on the hunting, trapping, and killing of bobcats.

Photo courtesy of BUISNESSOFFASHION.COM