Fur Out of Stock

If you’ve been reading my blog—or regularly checking humanesociety.org or receiving our email alerts—you know that we are making pretty remarkable progress in our campaigns against animal fighting, puppy mills, factory farming, and other fronts. But there’s also been progress on a range of other categories of abuse, including the exotic pet trade, captive hunts, and shark-killing contests.

Today, I am pleased to announce major progress on the fur-free front. Thanks to the strong leadership of CEO Patrick Byrne, Overstock.com has, as of today, removed all fur from its website. Overstock.com does about three-quarters of a billion in annual sales, and is a major player in the online retail sector.

Byrne, in a press conference with me today, said the cleansing of fur and fur trim from his retail operation will cost him between $1 million and $5 million. Mr. Byrne is willing to take that short-term loss because he believes it’s the right thing to do, and he hopes it will become an economic boon in the long run as more and more consumers know that Overstock.com is a socially responsible leader in the retail sector. My thanks and appreciation to him for this ethical and foresighted action.

Overstock.com is the 100th major retailer or designer to go fur-free, according to the HSUS’s listing. If you’d like to thank Mr. Byrne, please do so at Overstock’s community forum.