How far can humans go to satisfy their vices?
In addition to the many activities that animal rights activists have undertaken in the last few years, there is also a protest against world-renowned fashion designer Louis Vuitton, who uses crocodile skin in their products. In these activities, PETA is the frontrunner who discovered the brutal conditions at the crocodile farms from which the skin is procured for many of these purposes.
To be able to access shareholder meetings at which they could question executives about their business practices, in 2017, PETA even purchased a significant stake in Louis Vuitton (LVMH). These pressures by activists, both on the street and on the board room, prompted LVMH to plan the implementation of a new measure to ensure a “responsible supply” of crocodile skins.
PETA is not happy with this statement from LVMH, as it does not change anything quickly, but it will obviously take the company almost two years to start making changes, which in this situation does not contribute to the goal of preventing violence against crocodiles. This will not prevent cruel practices, such as the slaughter method, which is actually cutting the back of a crocodile’s neck and pushing a metal bar down the spine of a living animal, causing unthinkable agony.
PETA representatives point to other fashion designers such as Chanel, Vivienne Westwood, Victoria Beckham, and Diane von Furstenberg, whose firm promises are to stop using “exotic animals” to make fashion accessories.
Although it is not yet clear for LVMH how the process of killing crocodiles will change, they have promised to ensure that animals are treated more compassionately.
The video shows the results of PETA’s investigation, which initially revealed what went into producing Louis Vuitton accessories. The video shows bizarre scenes of slitting their necks and pushing a stick down their throats while they are still alive, as well as removing parts while the alligators are still moving and bleeding. Further, before their skin is cut and stripped, they are torn into small pieces and packed in concrete pits.
Since the promises of LVMH do not guarantee drastic changes in relation to ensuring improvements in animal standards and attitudes, PETA and other animal welfare organizations continue with campaigns to end the use of exotic animal skins.
The prices of the fashion accessories on Louis Vuitton’s website can go for as much as £31,000, which is no guarantee that LVMH would change many things in their productions of them fo the near future.
