PETA is calling on Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, and the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) to stop using Canadian bear pelts to make headpieces for the Queen’s Five Guards Regiments and to instead have the hats fashioned from luxurious faux fur.

Bears are still cruelly killed for their hides; they are either shot during hunts or are ensnared—possibly for days—in painful traps. During hunts, as many as one bear in seven does not die immediately after being shot. Some bears escape wounded, possibly dying later from blood loss or starvation. In some Canadian provinces, there are no restrictions on the shooting of mothers who have nursing cubs, leading to the slaughter of entire families during hunts.

For nearly two centuries, the British MoD has waged a war on black bears while doing nothing to further the search for synthetic materials. In fact, when PETA presented the MoD with high-tech synthetic materials—sourced from leading faux-fur manufacturers around the world and made to the MoD’s very own specifications—the MoD was quick to make negative comments about the faux fur, saying that it “lacks life” and “doesn’t bounce back.”

Instead of financially supporting the shameful slaughter of Canadian black bears, Great Britain should set a compassionate example by switching to a humane and progressive alternative and committing to stopping the killing.

Please Help Spare the Bears!
Let the British MoD know that the world is watching! Please write a polite letter requesting a reply and urging the British ambassador to the United States and British Secretary of State for Defence Des Browne, MP, to immediately stop supporting the killing of bears while they work on replacing the real fur used in the guards’ hats with cruelty-free faux fur:

His Excellency Sir David Manning
Ambassador of the United Kingdom
3100 Massachusetts Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20008-3600
202-588 7850 (fax)
Online E-Mail Form

The Rt Hon. Des Browne, MP
Secretary of State for Defence
Ministry of Defence, Main Building
London SW1A 2HB
England