by Brooke Varney
It’s only appropriate that as the winter chill begins to set in, we also start to approach the season of giving. Liberty London’s annual coat drive for the homeless has only just begun, but has already received an unprecedented donation. Animal rights organization PETA has donated thousands of fur coats to the luxury department store, which has a long-standing policy against selling fur.
The coats come from former fur lovers who have had a change of heart and now renounce it due to the animal cruelty involved in the production of fur. “Thanks to dozens of donors who dumped their furs in favour of kindness, PETA is able to send a vital message about having compassion for animals this winter – and that only people desperately lacking basic necessities have any excuse to wear fur,” PETA director Mimi Bekhechi told Vogue UK. “We’re calling on kind people to keep the homeless in their hearts this Christmas and to show compassion for animals at the same time by donating any real fur items to those in need.”
Liberty’s coat drive last year accumulated around 15,000 coats for Wrap Up London, and hopefully will see even larger numbers this year. Celebrities such as Mariah Carey, Kim Cattrall, and Debbie Harry have all chosen to donate their animal-skin coats to PETA, who then gives the coats to anti-fur demonstrations, animal shelters, and people in need. Click here to donate any animal products to PETA, and here to find out more about Wrap Up London!