Poland has officially banned fur farming. The new law, signed by President Karol Nawrock on Tuesday, gives fur farmers eight years to close their farms.
The decision will save the lives of an estimated three million animals each year who would otherwise face lives in cages and deaths by gassing or electrocution.
The government has also introduced incentives for those who decide to shut down earlier.
Animal rights organizations across Europe are celebrating the decision.
Photo journalist Jo-Anne McArthur from We Animals Media, who investigated a fur farm in Poland in 2024, highlighted the courage it took to get here: “The vote to ban fur farms was brought to Parliament some seven or eight times before this. Think of the effort it took to get this to Parliament so many times.”
“Think of the investigations, the public rallying, the protests, the lobbying, the fundraising, the pavement-pounding, the galvanizing, all the activism that went into it from the grassroots to the policy level. Imagine the stamina, and the tears of frustration each time, and the celebrations now,” she added.
Fur farm in Poland
In late 2024, McArthur joined a small investigative team on a night visit to a fur farm in southwestern Poland. They found hundreds of foxes and raccoon dogs crammed into bare wire cages. Some were so small that the animals could only take a few steps or turn around.
Many animals showed signs of physical and mental suffering, including lethargy, blindness, and foot deformities. Dead and decomposing animals were also found in cages. “The animals had no enrichment, only a spout for drinking water,” the team reported.
Foxes and raccoon dogs raised for fur are usually killed before they reach one year old. Their deaths often involve gassing or anal electrocution, methods widely criticized by animal welfare experts.
The 2024 investigation ended with the rescue of a white female raccoon dog. She was taken to a sanctuary where she received medical care and now lives safely with other rescued animals.
Poland was one of the largest fur producers in Europe, especially for mink fur. With this decision, Poland joins a growing list of EU countries pushing towards a fur-free future.
Many campaigners hope this move will add pressure on the European Union to introduce a full EU-wide ban.
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Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: theanimalreader.com
