This week, X Factor judge and animal advocate Sharon Osbourne wrote to Croatia’s minister of agriculture, Davor Romić, asking him to preserve a complete ban on fur farming – which is scheduled to take effect on 1 January 2017 but is currently threatened because of a proposed exception for fur taken from chinchillas.

After banning fur from her own closet, Osbourne teamed up with PETA US to narrate a video revealing how chinchillas suffer and die on fur farms and urging everyone to refuse to wear fur coats or trim.

“I applaud Croatia’s decision to ban fur farming, as many other European countries have done, but I was shocked and disappointed to learn of a proposed exception to the ban that would allow the breeding and slaughter of chinchillas for their fur,” she wrote. "On behalf of kind people everywhere, I urge you to consider the following information and then make the decision to preserve a complete ban on fur farming.

“I used to wear fur but had a change of heart after learning about how terribly animals suffer in the fur industry. As you can see in this exposé that I recently narrated for PETA, chinchillas are often confined to tiny, filthy cages before workers snap their necks or electrocute them. “Toe-to-ear” electrocution immobilises chinchillas but leaves them conscious as they experience all the pain and agony of a full-blown heart attack. As on most fur farms, the animals seen in this exposé were denied veterinary care, and the owner of the farm even splinted broken bones and amputated limbs without anaesthetics.

“There is so much suffering inherent in the fur industry – and all just for a silly fashion statement. Fur farmers have had 10 years to make the transition out of this cruel trade, and 1 January 2017 is a date to look forward to. Please take a stand against horrific cruelty to animals and use your influence to spread a message of compassion. You’d gain the respect of many animal lovers all over the world, like my family and me.”