The Tuesday, November 16, Washington Post has a lead story, cover of the
Metro section (pg B1) that looks at underside side of the fur industry --
the trapping of the animals.

David A. Fahrenthold's article is headed, "For the Haute, a Hunt for Fur;
Fashion-Conscious Trappers Hope to Cash In on Pelts."

It opens:

"Larry Kline stood knee-deep in a Virginia creek, laying a trap.

"He lowered the trap's spring-loaded metal frame -- something like a large
mousetrap -- into the current. If a river otter swam through, it would brush
against a trigger wire, and then snap! The animal would be caught at the
neck by the trap's jaws."

"He'll dive right into the trap, and he'll expire real quick," Kline said as
he demonstrated the trap last week near Dumfries.

The article tells us that the fur resurgence has "trickled down to the
backwoods of the East Coast" but that,

"For animal rights groups, the resurgence of the fur industry is a
disappointment.

"They have charged for years that trapping is cruel, especially the leg-hold
traps that can prompt some animals to chew off their feet and trappers who
bludgeon animals they find alive in the traps."

Trapping season opened in Virginia yesterday.

We read about the recent resurgence in fur as fashion:
"The 1970s were a boom time, but the 1980s brought another bust, as clothing
tastes changed and animal rights groups increased their attacks on fur as
fashion. The low point might have been about 1993, when the number of
licensed trappers in Virginia fell to about 700, down from nearly 5,300 in
1979. The recent comeback began when fur trim started appearing on
high-fashion designs. Then fur became an accessory of wealth sought after by
hip-hop stars -- today's rappers reference chinchilla, the fur of a South
American rodent, like they did diamonds or Cadillac Escalades a few years
ago."

You can read the whole article on line at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/artic...-2004Nov15.html

Please consider a letter to the editor against wearing the skins of other
animals. The Washington Post takes letters at: letters@washpost.com

Always include your full name, address, and daytime phone number when
sending a letter to the editor. Shorter letters are more likely to be
published.

Yours and the animals',
Karen Dawn

(DawnWatch is an animal advocacy media watch that looks at animal issues in
the media and facilitates one-click responses to the relevant media outlets.
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