Cover image via Bored Panda
Most of us have no idea how a simple leather bag is made. Well, did you know that the leather maker must kill the animal first to deskin it? In fact, leather makers of luxury brands kill 4 alligators for a single "Birkin" bag — wait, what? You didn't know about that? Well, now you do…
Image via YouTube PETA
Industries slaughter more than 1 billion animals yearly to sell animal skin for clothing (fur, leather, wool, exotic skins). They are kept in hellish conditions on factory farms: confined together in tiny and putrid-smelling cages, deprived of care and everything that is natural and important to them.
The fate of animals killed for their skin varies. Snakes and lizards are often skinned alive because people believe that it makes leather suppler. Kid goats are often boiled alive to make gloves, and unborn calves are sometimes purposely aborted for their skin, which is considered especially "luxurious," according to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals [PETA] (http://www.peta.org/international/).
Image via YouTube PETA
A PETA investigation shows crocodiles crammed into concrete pits and alligators packed into filthy pools — all slaughtered to make luxury handbags, wallets and watch straps made from crocodile and alligator skin such as the Hermès Birkin bag
Image via NPR
"Having been alerted to the cruel practices reserved for crocodiles during their slaughter to make Hermes handbags carrying my name. I have asked Hermes to debaptise the Birkin Croco until better practices in line with international norms can be put in place," said the British actress and singer Jane Birkin, according to [Agence France Press] (http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-jane-birkin-asks-hermes-to-take-name-off-crocodile-handbag-2015-7?IR=T&r=US&IR=T).
Hermes is the maker of the bag, and denies that the farm in the video is one it owns. It says that an investigation is underway at the Texas farm that is depicted in the PETA video. "Any breach of rules will be rectified and sanctioned. Hermès specifies that this farm does not belong to them and that the crocodile skins supplied are not used for the fabrication of Birkin bags," the company wrote in a statement, according to [NPR] (http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/07/29/427444110/birkin-bag-is-fine-but-namesake-actress-wants-birkin-croco-rebranded).
It was reported last July 2015 that Jane Birkin no longer wants to be affiliated with the popular crocodile-skin version. Her request comes after PETA published this graphic video on how crocodiles are allegedly treated before being killed:
Image via Inquisitr
Every inch of animal skin that you see in clothes, bags and accessories represent the severe suffering animals faced to make them
Image via PETA Asia
Image via PETA Asia
Image via PETA
Image via PETA
Image via YouTube PETA
Back in 2014, the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) released these ads showing the illegal wildlife trade pyramid of demand maintained through supply and demand. Remove one link in the chain and it will stop. The campaign is from WWF Australia: [Stop one. Stop them all.] (https://support.wwf.org.au/stop.html)
Image via Osocio / WWF
Image via Osocio / WWF
Image via Osocio / WWF
