Since 1944, The Association for the Protection of Fur-Bearing Animals (also known as Fur-Bearer Defenders) has been working to end the commercial fur trade by exposing trapping cruelty and by protecting fur-bearing animals in the wild or in confinement.
We also provide assistance to municipalities seeking to minimize human-wildlife conflicts.

A dedicated volunteer Board of Directors manages our society and our work is entirely supported by donations.

  Our top goals are to:
  •     Abolish the commercial fashion fur trade
  •     Ban the import and sale of domestic dog and cat fur in Canada
  •     Create opportunities to co-exist with urban wildlife (e.g. beavers and coyotes)


Note Regarding Charitable Status:

Due to our advocacy work to change legislation, we cannot issue tax receipts. We operate as a non-profit organization (registration number S-4222).

Our major accomplishments:Fox2012
  • European Parliament. In the 1990's, we urged the EU to ban the import of fur coming countries using leg-hold traps. (Sadly, Canada, USA and Russia would later become exempt from this ban.)
  • Municipal bylaws & legislation. As a result of our campaigns, several communities have prohibited or restricted the use of lethal traps.
  • Advertising & education. To raise awareness, we use TV, radio, billboards, newspaper, transit and online ads. Each year, we also distribute hundreds of thousands of brochures and newsletters all over the world.
  • First group to expose trapping cruelty. Our group was the first to release never before seen film footage of animals suffering on a Canadian trap line.
  • Celebrity support. Our roster includes Kim Basinger, Bif Naked, Loretta Swit, Jason Priestly and Kim Cattrall.