West Hollywood Fur Ban

West Hollywood, California has banned the sale of fur citywide, and it is the first such fur ban in the United States of America.

The West Hollywood City Council voted to make illegal the sale of any clothing made of animal fur, including wool. 

The animal rights group PETA applauded the fur ban and awarded the city with the Proggy Award for 'Most Compassionate U.S. City of 2011.'

Anger from fur designers, fur retailers and fur customers has followed the West Hollywood fur ban, which was voted into law by three individuals at City Hall.

The Fur Information Council of America released a study showing that nearly 100 out of 209 clothing stores in WeHo sell clothing or accessories made of animal fur.

FICA said the fur ban will cause an economic loss to the city, which has long been world famous for luxurious furs.

Opponents are angered at the passing of the fur ban ordinance without a preliminary economic impact report, which will not be conducted until May 2012. 

"This is not, by any means, over," declared FICA Executive Director Keith Kaplan.  "The economic impact study ordered by the mayor will clearly reflect the important and growing role of fur in fashion today."

West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce CEO Genevieve Morrill, voiced the frustration felt by fur retailers when she denounced the city's "unwillingness to consider any of the compromise solutions presented by the business community."

"They ignored the overwhelming majority opposition from both the businesses and residents," she added.

West Hollywood has been an international luxury fashion shopping destination for decades, and critics insist that citywide retail sales will decline dramatically without furs.

They also point out that tourism-related businesses like hotels, restaurants, car rental agencies and other retailers will share in the decline.

City Hall's goal is to promote WeHo as "The Humane Capital of the United States," but will the city's tax revenues start disappearing on principle?

The West Hollywood retail fur ban will go into effect on September 21, 2013.