At Tuesday's Board of Supervisors meeting, District 4 Supervisor Katy Tang proposed amending the the city's health code to prohibit the sale of fur apparel in San Francisco.

“Many associate fur apparel with the idea of luxury, but the reality is far from luxurious—millions of animals around the world are raised inhumanely and killed each year just for their fur,” said Tang in a statement.



Berkeley and West Hollywood already have similar bans on the books.

“There are so many ways to stay warm and look fashionable without having to harm animals," she added.



Other nations have already begun to address concerns surrounding animal welfare and factory fur farming, Tang noted, pointing to the United Kingdom and Austria as the first countries to ban the practice.

Other countries have followed suit, including Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, the Republic of Macedonia, and the Czech Republic.

Impetus for a proposed ban on fur trade in San Francisco stems not only from an ethical position, but an environmental one, Tang said.

According to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), waste from fur farming contributes to air and water pollution.

Baltic minks. | Photo: Dzīvnieku brīvība/Flickr

The energy costs required to produce fur products is also a factor, according to the organization. "For each kilogram of factory farmed mink fur, 110 kilograms of carbon dioxide is produced—enough to drive a car from San Francisco to Denver."

Tang said the proposed legislation will exempt second-hand and vintage stores that already carry fur products, including "animal skins [that] are converted into leather."

We reached out to several independent fur purveyors in the city to ask about how the proposed legislation might affect business, but our requests for comment were not returned.

Currently, major retailers in San Francisco that sell fur apparel are Macy's, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Nordstrom, and Bloomingdale's.

“San Francisco is a city of animal lovers, and we're proud that Supervisor Tang and the Board are continuing the city's history of protecting the most vulnerable from cruelty and violence.” said Wayne Hsiung, co-founder of Direct Action Everywhere.

Should the legislation pass, the law would take effect July 1, 2018.