West Hollywood Set to Ban Sales of Fur

Photo by MarinaDelRey via the LAist Featured Photos pool

If fur trim and fur coats rub you the wrong way, you might consider moving into West Hollywood. The city last night set the stage to become the first in the nation to ban the sale of fur, according to L.A. Now.

The West Hollywood City Council heard pleas on both sides of the issue in a debate that went from yesterday evening to the early hours of this morning, according to NBC Los Angeles. Business owners told the council that the ban would be bad for the local economy, with one suggesting that her sales could fall up to 15%. She added that a ban like the one under consideration may force her to look into moving her store to a different neighborhood.

On the flip side, animal rights activists painted brutal pictures of the way that fluffy critters are killed for their fur, and expressed their skepticism over the claims that the ban would cripple local businesses.

When the debate finally ended, the five-person council voted unanimously to uphold the ban. It now needs to be given a second look, and an implementation date must be set before the proposal will be put into action.