What animal are you walking on? : The UGG-ly fashion trend

BRUNSWICK, OH – As the days grow colder and more snow accumulates on the streets of Brunswick, a curious fashion trend makes itself very apparent.  More than 60% of girls at Brunswick High School are wearing sheepskin boots like UGGs, BEARPAWs, EMUs, and more, and many are blissfully unaware of the true cost of the boots.  The cost of the boots are more than just the average $120 for a traditional pair of sheepskin UGGs, the boots cost lives: thousands of sheep and other animals (such as raccoon dogs, and other types of dogs, often not listed on the fur makeup label) are tortured and slaughtered every year for the production of sheepskin boots.  (Note: BEARPAW makes their boots with sueded cow leather exteriors, but they are lined with the same Australian sheepskin wool as their competitors. (nyshoespy.com))

Senior UGG-wearers Brittany Toth, Kaitlyn Pesci, and Cali Gore were among the large percent (over half) of the population who wear sheepskin boots but do not know what they are really made of, before being told of the inhumane torture the sheep undergo for the production of the boots.  Questions such as, “Aren’t the sheep just shaved?  Aren’t the boots made of their fur?” are asked with confusion.  The answer is no.  Many are fooled by the marketing technique of labeling UGGs and the like ‘shearling boots,’ but shearling actually means lambskin, sheepskin of a baby lamb, and the term sheepskin leaves nothing to the imagination; “sheep are castrated without painkillers, have part of their tails cut off, and then have their throats slit just so that we can use their skin, which is what UGG boots are made of,” (www.peta2.com).

Within the percent of girls and boys who are aware that sheep are killed to become footwear, there are mixed opinions.  Sophomore Alyssa Emery, who can be seen wearing a pair of off-brand sheepskin boots which were a gift from her grandmother, states, “I knew that there would be suffering sheep, I don’t know about tortured… I don’t like buying them, I only get them as gifts, and I don’t ask for them.”  As Emery is educated about the methods most commonly used to skin the sheep, she exclaims with a concerned and compassionate face, “I did not know this!”  Emery concludes, “I would never buy my own pair of UGG boots!”

Not all who own and wear sheepskin boots are in Emery’s situation, and freshman Camille Simonitis feels sympathy but not shame in regards to the torture and slaughter of sheep and other animals.  “I love my UGGs,” she states.  They cost her about $120 out of pocket, and she doesn’t think that is too steep a price for a simple pair of boots.  “They’re really comfy and [easy] to walk in, they’re really soft… And really cute!”  When asked if she was aware of the torture and death of sheep for their skins to make the boots, Simonitis answers without hesitation, “Yes.”  However, when learning of the fact that often more than just sheep skin and fur is used to make the boots, she states, “I did not know that, that’s kind of disgusting.”  About the specificities of the methods of torture the sheep are put through to create the boots, Simonitis says, “I would be a little disturbed to see that happen… but I get really good boots out of it!”  Simonitis owns two pairs of UGG boots and states, after learning about the torture and death of sheep and other animals, she still would not think twice before splurging for a third.

One might initially think that UGGs and other sheepskin boots and shoes are only so popular due to the ignorance of the girls and boys who buy and wear them, but that apparently might not be so.  Of course, the majority of people who own sheepskin boots are ignorant to the fact that animals had to die to donate their skin to the footwear.  However, after education on the subject, how many would be moved to a point which changes one’s mind about sheepskin boots and other products?  Unfortunately, a large amount of effort must be dedicated to trying to stop the inhumane torture of innocent animals, dying in the name of fashion against their unspoken will, and the refusal of sheepskin boot-wearers to understand and feel sympathy towards said tortured animals shows that the effort is simply not being put forth.

Learn more about the torture and slaughter of sheep and other animals and what you can do to stop it at:

http://blog.peta2.com/2011/10/is-there-blood-in-your-boots.html (peta2’s effort to educate people about what really goes into sheepskin boots in hopes the reader will vow to never buy or wear fur and animal skin)

http://www.peta2.com/takecharge/t-chinafur.asp?c=11 (The inside scoop on the production and manufacturing of sheepskin boots and other fur and animal skin products in China, where UGGs, BEARPAWs, EMUs, and many more brands manufacture their products; “There are no regulations governing fur farms in China—farmers can house and slaughter animals however they see fit—meaning miserable lives and painful deaths for countless animals every year.”)

https://secure.peta.org/site/Advocacy?cmd=display&page=UserAction&id=3472 (Pledge to never wear UGGs or other sheepskin boots!)

http://blog.peta2.com/2010/12/but-whats-wrong-with-uggs.html (Cruelty-free alternatives!)