Columns, Opinion

Baran Breakdown: Canada Goose must be stopped

The cold has finally sunk its sharp teeth into Boston again and if a frigid front promises anything in this city, it is the sudden — and unfortunate — surplus of Canada Goose clothing.

This company promotes colossal animal cruelty, so why are the streets still saturated in its red-black emblem? Canada Goose coats are meant to provide supreme warmth and comfort, but the stories behind the garments are spine-chilling.

The people clad in these coats of cruelty, though they may not know it, are implicitly propagating the wicked ways of Canada Goose, an establishment of absolute atrocity whose inhumane practices need be abated. 

Canada Goose hunts coyotes and geese en masse; coyotes are caught for their fur and the geese for their down. That’s right, the soft fur trim is in no way faux — it is real fur, obtained from animals who do not want to die. And the stuff that makes the coat so soft and warm, the down, is from geese who are brutally killed, often conscious up until the last minute of their lives. 

Wild coyotes are trapped, killed and then skinned for their fur, caught in steel traps that often cause them immense pain. Sometimes when mothers are trapped, they try to chew off their own limbs in desperate attempts to find their young. The coyotes that do not die of exposure to the elements are often shot or hacked to death upon the return of their ruthless trappers. 

Similarly, geese used for their down are sent straight to the slaughterhouse, where they are hung upside down, stunned and slit in the throat. Just like that these social, sentient animals vanish from the world. After being treated like objects, they are merely forgotten. 

The wild animals in this situation are not the coyotes, they are the trappers themselves. After a day’s work, they wash their bloodied axes and hit the hay, only to wake up and do it all over again. 

The company claims that they are “deeply committed to the ethical sourcing and responsible use of all animal materials in our products,” according to a statement on their website and I couldn’t help but laugh at the audacity this exudes. 

But my chuckle only cloaked the true fury that raged in me. This company, like all others, seeks profit above all else. Their coats are not cheap and have become symbols of style and wealth. What is their incentive to source materials ethically if they will continue bringing in cash either way? 

Probably nothing. The only way they will change their practices is their consumers people demand they do. We must put aside our aspirations to “fit in” or advertise our ability to buy high-end fashion if we want to mitigate animal suffering. 

As only a freshman at Boston University, I was, and continue to be, shocked by the pervasiveness of Canada Goose coats. They are everywhere I go — from the mellow Buick Street Market to the hustle and bustle of the George Sherman Union. Every time I see the company’s emblem, my heart sinks a little. 

Most of us have pets we love, so why do we want to wear coats of murdered coyotes and geese?

It is not okay. If you did not know before, now you do. We live in a washing machine of a world, chugging and churning with change and have alternatives to real fur, which is nothing but abusive and antiquated.

This is an entreaty to all — if you do not wish to support the slaughtering of innocent creatures, do not purchase from Canada Goose.

Spread the word. Tell your friends and family. Canada Goose must be stopped and it can start with you. 




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6 Comments

  1. Hi Angelina,

    For someone who claims to see Canada Goose logos every day, I am surprised you failed to notice that the logo has no black in it. You seem to have difficulty with colours… maybe try looking up “yellow journalism”?

    • Hey Buddy,
      Yeah, I guess this might look a lot like yellow journalism to those who choose to see the truth as hyperbole. Keep ripping on colorblind people, you’re doing great!

  2. thanks, ms. baran. the world needs to hear about the suffering inflicted by humans on all these sentient beings. keep up the good work and the good fight!

  3. I guess Derek would say the same about The gulags in the Soviet Union
    It’s the truth, sir
    Face it

  4. This is why I wear wool….

  5. I love the way you write Angelina. Your emotions are right out there in your words. I absolutely agree with you on this subject . Keep it up .