Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
City Council Considers Banning Fur
By
Claire Lampen
Published Mar 27, 2019
Modified Mar 27, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Michael Hill/AP/Shutterstock
By
Claire Lampen
Published Mar 27, 2019
Modified Mar 27, 2019
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Local legislators may soon ban fur within New York City. Council Speaker Corey Johnson, along with Council members Mark Levine of Manhattan and Fernando Cabrera of the Bronx, has introduced a bill that would make it illegal to sell new fur across the five boroughs.
"As an animal lover, I truly think it is cruel to kill an animal for the sole purpose of people wearing a fur coat," Johnson said in an emailed statement to Gothamist. "There is really no need for this. In a progressive city like ours, we need to take steps to protect animals."
The proposed legislation would fine businesses that sold fur between $500 and $1,500, depending on how many violations they racked up, but would not apply to used fur products. Thrift stores could still sell vintage and second-hand furs, and as long as they didn't add any new fur apparel to their inventory, they'd avoid penalties. The proposal would also allow people to repurpose furs—into a trim, for example, or a similarly recycled product—and sell them that way. "No new furs" would seem to be the bottom line.
According to the NY Post, the city is home to more than 130 fur businesses, 101 of which reside in Johnson's district. Furriers, naturally, blasted the idea. "I guess he [Johnson] wants to represents a district with empty storefronts," Steve Cowit, owner of Cowit Furs & Madison Avenue Furs, said. "What happened to freedom of choice? Next it will be the meat industry and chicken industry. When will it end?"
To be clear, local lawmakers are not proposing forced vegetarianism.
A number of other cities—West Hollywood, Berkeley, San Francisco, and most recently, Los Angeles—have banned fur, though, and New York State legislators are considering doing the same. Last week, Linda Rosenthal, who represents the Upper West Side in the Assembly, introduced a bill proposing "prohibitions on fur products," specifically, their "manufacture, sale, display for sale, [and] trade." The bill would also put a moratorium on "giving, donating, or otherwise distributing of a fur product by any means in the state" starting January 1, 2021. It would apply to clothing items, accessories, and fur accents.
Rosenthal characterized the bill as a necessity to guard against cruelty at fur farms and within the fur industry in general, practices that include raising animals in captivity and trapping them in the wild. Because the whole point is to harvest their pelts, you can see where animal welfare might not top the list of the farmers' priorities. National Geographic reports that at largely unregulated mink farms in China, for example, self-mutilation, "extreme fearfulness," infanticide, difficulty breeding, and unresponsiveness are exceedingly common among the animal stock, which often live in tiny cages that allow little room for their occupants' movement.
"There can be no denial that killing animals for their fur is abject cruelty," Cabrera said in a statement emailed to Gothamist, condemning the practice of gassing and electrocuting animals for their coats, and applauding the trend toward synthetic fur and leather by some in the fashion industry. "New York City must follow its tradition as a leader among municipalities and promote animal welfare and protection by banning the sale of fur."
Tagged
City Council
Corey Johnson
fernando cabrera
fur
mark levine
Claire Lampen
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Mamdani launches new team to help NYers keep SNAP, Medicaid benefits
Nearly 1 million in the city risk losing benefits as a result of new federal restrictions.
By
Caroline Lewis
Published Oct 19, 2026 at 12:43 p.m. ET
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
A 26-year-old died after being shot on the platform at the Midtown station. Commuters are rattled.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
News
Riders at 53rd St. station where man was fatally shot say they worry about gun violence
A 26-year-old died after being shot on the platform at the Midtown station. Commuters are rattled.
By
Ramsey Khalifeh
These are the NYC neighborhoods that will get free 2-K next fall
By
Karen Yi
Early Addition: Get to know Wanda, the donkey in the Met's 'La Bohème'
By
James Ramsay
Eric Adams' NYC buildings boss Eric Ulrich heads to trial, 3 years after arrest
By
David Brand
and
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .