MILAN -- In a protest against animal testing and fur clothing a trio of models stripped off in front of the Cathedral in the Piazza del Duomo, in the heart of the city.  This protest comes in time for Milan Fashion Week, which will start on Wednesday.  Braving the cold, the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) supporters dressed in nothing but see-through tights, knickers and gas masks, holding signs that warned, “Fur is Toxic.”

 The demonstration on Tuesday morning was to remind passers-by that not only are fur clothing and accessories cruel to animals, but they are also toxic to humans.  “There’s nothing chic about fur that has been torn from animals struggling for survival, which has then been laden with chemical substances that are harmful to whoever wears it,” stated PETA’s Associate Director Elisa Allen.  “PETA is inviting all those who have a heart to choose fur-free clothing for their own health, as well as for the well-being of animals.” PETA’s motto reminds us that “animals are not ours to wear.”

 The protest follows a recent study that discovered that unsafe levels of potentially carcinogenic chemicals were being used in children’s clothing that had been fur-trimmed and sold by several well-known brands, including Canada Goose, Nickelson, Airforce and Woolrich.

 The shocking results from the Bremer Umwelt Institute in Germany have revealed that the fur from racoons and coyotes contains vast quantities of toxic substances, in particular formaldehyde, which can cause allergic reactions and is considered a carcinogen, along with ethoxylates, which are known to be harmful in the case of hormone production and for reproductive organs.

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