The images in the
following program are very sensitive and may be as disturbing to viewers
as they were to us. However, we have to show the truth about cruelty to
animals.HOST: What would you do if you knew that
the soft fur wrapped around your neck had been ripped from living,
breathing dogs and cats? Did you know that the material used to make
your tennis shoes might be the skin of a sweet animal such as a
Kangaroo?
On today’s Stop Animal Cruelty program, we interview
Shannon Keith of Los Angeles, USA, a vegan animal rights advocate,
attorney, and award winning film director. In 2004, she founded the
non-profit organization Animal Rescue Media Education which rescues and
re-homes wonderful animal companions like dogs and cats. The
organization also produces important documentaries such the newly
premiered 『Skin Trade』 which reveals the horrendous truth about the
leather and fur industries.
The film features prominent people
in the United States who support kindness to animals such as television
actress Jorja Fox, author Rory Freedman, rock star Rikki Rockett,
Hollywood actor James Cromwell, Congressman Dennis Kucinich, fashion
designer Ashley Paige, and designer Todd Oldham.
Shannon Keith : Fur is one of those
things that there is just no argument for. Fur for vanity, that’s
ridiculous. It should be gone and over with it by now and I think that
most people agree. People just don’t know how to stop it. So I made
『Skin Trade』 so that people can see what goes on, how animals are killed
for fur and how they can make a change and stop the brutal fur and
fashion industries.
Shannon
Keith (f): It’s really sad. There are different ways that animals
are used for fur and trapped
and killed. The most prevalent way is
animals are bred and raised on factory farms, so they are in tiny,
confined
spaces where they can hardly move. We are talking animals that are used
to (roaming) miles and miles of territory in the wild, you know,
Shannon Keith (f): foxes, coyotes,
wolves, lynxes, mink, beautiful, gorgeous, fur-bearing animals
that
love their terrain and love their freedom.
Shannon Keith (f): They are being
raised on these tiny factory farms, a lot of times indoors. They are not
given food. They are not given water for a couple of weeks.
For
more details on 『Skin Trade』, please visit
www.SkinTradetheMovie.com
For more information on Animal Rescue Media Education,
please
visit:
www.ARME.tv