DENVER — There is already a buzz surrounding Citizen-Initiated Ordinance 308, going before Denver voters in November, before ballots were sent out.
The ballot measure would ban the sale, manufacture, trade and display of new fur products in city limits.
Looking around the Rocky Mountain House Rabbit Rescue, Natalie Fulton explains the roles rabbits play in many lives as the third most popular pet in the United States. Fulton is a spokesperson with Pro-Animal Future, a group of over 150 volunteers fighting for the Denver fur ban.
"308 is an important step towards needing the cruel, unnecessary and outdated practice of killing animals just to wear their fur, it will be on the ballot this November, and Denver voters have a chance to vote against some of the most egregious animal cruelty that takes place in the city by voting to ban fur," Fulton said.
Fulton explained how this ballot measure is aimed against unnecessary animal abuse and follows in the footsteps of other countries who have banned fur.
"Fur is banned in over 26 countries as well as the entire state of California and Boulder," Fulton said. "We closely followed the language of the Boulder and California fur ban because the legislation is working there, so we think it should work in Denver as well."
As far as the impact the Denver fur ban would have on local businesses, Fulton said most vendors already use cruelty-free alternative and is pushing for fur-free fashion.
"The vast majority of cowboy hats do not use any fur, the ones that do need to evolve past animal cruelty, there's no excuse to be trapping animals in cages for their entire life and electrocuting them to death," Fulton said.
For businesses who sell fur products such as fly fishing flies and custom cowboy hats, this ballot measure would greatly affect their inventory. Coleen Orr, the owner of Cowboy Up Hatters, uses beaver and rabbit fur to create custom hats for clients and explained the fur is a byproduct from Europe that she is able to utilize.
"Felt hats are matted hair fur and that's what they've been made out of for thousands of years, a lower quality felt hat would be wool but it does not stand up nowhere near as well, like one good rainstorm in a wool hat is done," Orr said.
Since 1992, Orr has been creating custom hats that cost customers between $550 to $1100. She is the only employee spending hours on these products creating around 350 hats a year.
Orr explained how the Denver fur ban would impact not only her business but others in the industry, saying, "Well, and it's not only me, right? I am the end of it. There's the trappers, all the people down the line that are making a living doing this and have for thousands of years."
Both sides believe Denver voters need to understand the impact this ballot measure would have.
"Keep spreading the word, don’t believe corporations over people were a raggedy group of volunteers who care about animals and we want the best for them," Fulton said. "We are not making money off this initiative and the other side is so think about the animals when you get your ballot."
"They are shocked, shocked because there isn’t another better option," Orr said. "We have been doing this and it's Colorado. This is a western way of life in Colorado, and people are absolutely stunned that this has already even made the ballot."
