Is Bebe REALLY fur-free? PETA threatens to sue clothing giant 'for selling rabbit coats' - though it claims all products are faux

By Olivia Fleming

PUBLISHED: 16:57 EST, 28 January 2013 | UPDATED: 17:28 EST, 28 January 2013


PETA is threatening to sue the women's retail chain, Bebe, for allegedly selling clothing made from fur more than five years after it promised to stop.

The animal rights group has sent Bebe's CEO Steve Birkhold a cease and desist, claiming that it falsely markets itself as fur free, calling the company’s business practices 'unfair, dishonest, deceptive and fraudulent,' according to Fashionista.

The letter states that Bebe is 'giving contradictory and therefore false and misleading information to consumers who contact your company about its fur-free policy – including telling consumers that Bebe is a fur-free company, when, in fact, Bebe continues to sell products made with animal fur.'

Real or faux? PETA is threatening to sue the women's retail chain, Bebe, for allegedly selling clothing made from fur more than five years after it promised to stop
Real or faux? PETA is threatening to sue the women's retail chain, Bebe, for allegedly selling clothing made from fur more than five years after it promised to stop

Real or faux? PETA is threatening to sue the women's retail chain, Bebe, for allegedly selling clothing made from fur more than five years after it promised to stop

Bebe has publicly presented itself as fur-free since 2007, after PETA continuously protested the company's use of real fur.

 

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Although it is legal to sell, buy, and wear fur; however PETA believes it is illegal, misleading and potentially immoral to sell fur products without advertising them as such.

PETA’s Director of Litigation, Martina Bernstein, alleges that Bebe released a press release in 2007 stating that it looks forward 'to completely eliminating animal fur' beginning January 2008.

'We demand that Bebe immediately cease and desist its false and misleading statements'

Bebe employees have also denied any use of fur to customers, PETA says.

The letter requests that 'Bebe immediately stop the sale of such products,' or 'publish corrective disclosures informing the public that it has no fur-free policy, contrary to its previously disseminated intentions.'

The letter added: 'In order to avoid the need to seek judicial relief from Bebe’s unlawful practices, we demand that Bebe immediately cease and desist its false and misleading statements.'

BizJournals reported in December that Bebe bought 650 shares of stock in Bebe, which will allow it to submit a resolution demanding the company stop selling rabbit and chinchilla fur – but this won't take affect until 2014.

Fur evidence: PETA sent Fashionista images of fur products found at a Denver Bebe store, including close-up pictures of tags, which verify the use of dyed rabbit fur
Fur evidence: PETA sent Fashionista images of fur products found at a Denver Bebe store, including close-up pictures of tags, which verify the use of dyed rabbit fur

Fur evidence: PETA sent Fashionista images of fur products found at a Denver Bebe store, including close-up pictures of tags, which verify the use of dyed rabbit fur

Danielle Katz, PETA Campaigns Manager, said: 'As a shareholder, PETA intends to appeal to other stakeholders at bebe’s next annual meeting and will submit a shareholder resolution calling for the company to go fur-free.

'We hope that our pleas... will finally bring bebe into the 21st century and convince the retailer to join top stores like Express, Calvin Klein, Abercrombie & Fitch, Guess, and H&M, all of which are 100 percent fur-free.'

 
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Baw...now when I go home and see my bunny I'll think about all the other poor bunnies. :( Fur is meant to stay on the animal, not worn by people.

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Unfortunately the Raccoon Dog is still used for its fur even though it's supposed to be illegal since 2008!! Cat and Dog fur is put into products for Boots and Garments that are claimed to have no real fur in them!!! There have been picutres and stories on this website if you just search for RACCOON DOG!!

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PETA is just a 'fad' for people with nothing better to do and who will eventually tire of it and move onto some other 'cause' when a 'better' one comes along.

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Pretty animals wore by Ugly people

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For the people who still do not know the difference between leather and fur: A cow is put down in one time, his meat is used, his leather for shoes A fur animal is SKINNED ALIVE at the fur farms in Azia , and not used for food, but thrown away like toiletpaper YOU SPOT THE DIFFENCE? for what??? just for FUN???????? That is sick ......

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I am frankly apalled by the flippant nature of most of these comments. If the rabbit fur used was indeed a byproduct of a humane meat industry then I too would see no problem, but the fur is worth more than the meat in the case of rabbits, squirrel, chinchillas etc and the way these animals are bred, housed and killed (usually skinned whilst "stunned" but alive to preserve the fur) for the sake of something that can be reproduced cheaply in a factory with no cruelty is utterly abbhorrent to anyone with an ounce of sense or compassion. It's not about killing animals for food, that is a totally seperate issue, it is about killing living beings so that a cardigan can look "pretty" - it is disgusting - fact. Please get some perspective people, we no longer need to kill anything to keep warm or look good so it is just cruelty and death for the sake of ignorance and a "couldn't give a damn" attitude which unfortunately is out in full force here today. .

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Are we allowed a sheepskin coat when someone has eaten the lamb chops.?

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Evil harted people wear real fur. We are stewards of animals and the planet, do you really feel fashionable wearing fur knowing it was a beautiful animal killed for profit?

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I heard those coats are hopping off the shelves.

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Seriously I wish PETA would get in the real world. If you eat any meat (including fish, KFC and chicken people!!), wear leather shoes, have a leather wallet or bag, have leather seats in your car etc etc.. and criticise people for wearing fur then your a hypocrite. Almost all domestic animals are bread for some form of human consumption, weather its to be eaten, worn, used as pets, run around a track or used for some other purpose, they are all born and die for us. The world has worked in this way long before Jesus or Facebook. Just because PETA have latched onto the image of cute baby seals being clubbed to death this story keeps getting airplay. I am definitely not for the inhumane treatment of animals and yes there is an issue of by Bebe incorrectly advertising/labeling but seriously, I think we should be looking more into the treatment of more widely consumed animals such as pig's, cattle and chickens before we lambast a clothing retailer.

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