Ricky Gervais has urged fashionistas to "save the lives" of innocent animals by banishing fur from their wardrobe.
The 56-year-old comedian has joined forces with Animal Defenders International in a new anti-fur campaign after he was disturbed by heartbreaking undercover footage of a fox on a fur farm in Poland being dragged from a barren mesh cage by his tail, hung upside down and electrocuted before being tossed into a cart.
Ricky said: "Fashion is a form of escapism for many but for the animals, imprisoned and denied their most basic needs, death is the only escape. It doesn’t have to be this way – save lives by going fur-free and supporting ADI."
But the funnyman wasn’t the only celebrity to jump on board the important campaign as Joanna Lumley has begged people to save the "fashion victims" from a miserable short-lived life and help ban the "brutal" fur trade.
Joanna, 71, explained: "Be comfortable in your own skin, and not that of a poor defenceless animal caged and killed to provide it. Say no to fur and yes to helping these fashion victims. Please help ADI stop this brutal trade."
It’s believed that 110 million animals – over 15 million of those are foxes – are murdered on fur farms every year but, before escaping the torture with a horrific painfu ldeath, they’re thrown into tiny, mesh, cages until their time is up.
ADI President, Jan Creamer, added: "These animals live miserable lives in extreme confinement and are killed in front of each other. They know what is going to happen and desperately cling to the cage as they are dragged out. One fox regains consciousness after electrocution. He is grabbed, hung upside down and tries to avoid the electric probe, the farmer hits his face with the probe until he bites and is electrocuted."
This isn’t the first time Ricky – who has been an animal activist for years – has stood up for foxes and other tortured animals as he’s previously spoken out against fox hunting and also wrote a letter to then-British Prime Minister Gordon Brown urging him to stop the use of black bear fur as caps for the Foot Guards.
Ricky Gervais backs anti-fur campaign
