How is the North American fur industry regulated?
A. Fur farming in the US “is regulated by local, State, national, and sometimes international humane regulations” (Industry & Trade Summary : Fur Skins, USITC Publication 3666, p17, January 2004), and by industry codes of practice. The production of wild furs is likewise regulated by state and federal government authorities. The status of farmed mink and fox as domesticated animals is recognized in US federal law (US Code Title 7, Chapter 7, ยง 433) and, in common with all livestock, domesticated furbearers such as mink and fox come under the jurisdiction of state departments of agriculture, not the federal government. Since there are human health concerns, the federal government does oversee in the regulation of the slaughter of food animals, e.g. the Animal Welfare Act. Statutes and codes are developed by legislators, veterinarians, farmers and concerned citizen groups, based on research and recommendations published by recognized scientific and veterinary bodies. While much of this w
