There are a lot of people out there who believe Canada Goose is an unethical company that puts animals to death in the least humane ways possible, and even plucks live animals of their feathers… But just how true is this?
You have probably seen videos like this circulating the internet. And most people have two reactions when they see a video like this. One being “Canada Goose is an unethical company”, and the other being “people will find any excuse to get upset these days”. And after doing about 10 minutes of research online, it’s safe to say its probably the latter (if Canada Goose are being honest with us that is).
The iconic fur hood on Canada Goose jackets are made from Coyote fur, and the company “respects” that it is a personal choice to not want to wear it. Here is a little bit of what they had to say about fur use:
“No matter where they’re worn, many of our products are designed and built to protect against the elements in the coldest places on Earth – places where exposed skin can freeze in an instant. In these environments, we believe that fur is the best choice – having fur trim around a jacket hood disrupts airflow which helps protect the face from frostbite.
We know that wearing fur is a personal choice and we respect that. In turn, we hope that people recognise our commitment to responsible use and ethical sourcing of fur.”
When it came to the actual sourcing of the fur, they said:
“The Canada Goose Fur Transparency Standard™ is our commitment to support the ethical sourcing and responsible use of real wild fur. The program mandates that all fur sourced by Canada Goose is in accordance with the Agreement of International Humane Trapping Standards in Canada and the Best Management Practices in the United States. It also requires that we only use wild fur from North American suppliers and that we never use fur from fur farms or endangered species. We monitor compliance to The Canada Goose Fur Transparency Standard™ through a third-party sample audit program of traplines. These trappers are strictly regulated by state, provincial and federal standards, and play an important role in properly managing abundant coyote populations that are known to endanger pets and livestock.”
Next is the insulator of the jackets; the duck down. Many graphic videos have circulated online of ducks being plucked live, with the posters claiming that this is how Canada Goose down is sourced. But with the website claiming ethical means of sourcing down, wouldn’t there be investigations taken out by regulatory bodies suggesting this mistreatment too? If such videos were an accurate depiction?
“The Canada Goose Down Transparency Standard™ is our commitment to support the ethical sourcing and responsible use of down used in our products. Our suppliers are required to certify that our down comes as a by-product of the poultry industry and has not come from live-plucked or force-fed birds. We enforce this commitment through a third-party audit program conducted by IDFL Laboratory and Institute who conduct sample audits at all levels of our supply chain, from farm to factory. The Canada Goose Down Transparency Standard™ also mandates that all down used in our products adheres to the Five Freedoms policy set out by the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE).”
In summary, from the statements made on the Canada Goose, it seems most materials sourced are by products of another industry. There will always be ducks dying and being killed for various other reasons, why let the feathers go to waste? And as for Coyotes, they are wild animals that can be considerably dangerous to livestock and pets. Just recently this year, Youtuber Logan Paul’s dog was killed by a Coyote. It is especially important for Coyotes to not get comfortable around humans, so trapping is an important part of life and maintenance in countries like Canada.
It’s important to do research on these matters, and not just believe everything you see on the internet… Including this. There’s nothing to say at least some mistreatment is happening in the process of getting these materials, so formulating an opinion based on facts and not emotions after watching a graphic video on Facebook is critical.
