Canada Goose Makes False Animal Welfare Claims, Says Class Action Lawsuit

A New York man says that cold-weather apparel maker, Canada Goose, deceptively markets its products with a fur trim as ethically sourced.

Lead plaintiff, George Lee, claims that fur trim included in Canada Goose products comes from trappers in places where there are no laws and regulations regarding the slaughter of trapped animals; however, the company represents that its fur suppliers are strictly regulated and its fur comes from ethical and sustainable sources.

“In reality, Canada Goose’s suppliers use cruel methods that cause strangulation and broken bones to coyotes and other animals who are inadvertently trapped and discarded,” contends the complaint. “Reasonable consumers would not perceive these methods as ‘ethical,’ ‘sustainable,’ or ‘humane’.”

Indeed, Lee says that he purchased Canada Goose’s products because of labeling that stated the fur on the product came from “strictly regulated” sources. He says that he and other consumer consciously seek out ethical, sustainable products, but Canada Goose’s marketing deceives them into thinking they are purchasing a “humane alternative.”

“Canada Goose capitalizes on consumers’ knowledge gap regarding fur industry practices by misrepresenting the treatment of the coyotes in its supply chain, including statements made on its Product labels that emphasize the company’s ‘ethical, responsible, and sustainable sourcing and use of real fur’ and claim that its fur suppliers are ‘strictly regulated by state, provincial and federal standards,’” alleges the class action lawsuit.

According to the complaint, the company includes multiple marketing materials assuring consumers that they are purchasing “ethically” and “sustainably” sourced coyote fur. These materials include “The Canada Good Fur Transparency Standard™” that claims the fur meets international humane trapping standards. The company also claims that they do not use farmed fur or fur from endangered animals.

The plaintiff says that, in reality, Canada Goose sources its fur from across the United States – most of which does not regulate the slaughter of animals for fur trapping.

“Canada Goose assures consumers that it ensures the ethical sourcing of fur by reference to its exclusive use of U.S. and Canadian trappers that are ‘strictly regulated by state, provincial, and federal standards,’” points out the complaint. “However, there are no U.S. federal laws or regulations that require the humane treatment of coyotes trapped for fur.”

In addition to few regulations, the class action lawsuit contends that the regulations that are in place are not consistently enforced. The plaintiff points out that few land management personnel are available to police fur trappers.

According to the complaint, even in areas where fur trappers must obtain a license, the license is simply a training course and purchase – there is relatively little enforcement of ethical trapping practices.

“Canada Goose fails to prohibit the use of inhumane snares that cause death by strangulation and cruel leghold traps that have been banned in dozens of countries and several U.S. states; these methods commonly result in leg fractures, tendon and ligament damage, lost claws, broken teeth, lacerations, dislocated joints, swelling, and prolonged psychological distress,” alleges the class action lawsuit.

The plaintiff points to several types of traps that have been shown to cause unnecessary injury and severe psychological distress that he says are used to obtain fur used in Canada Goose products. One example is leg hold traps.

“Major veterinary associations, including the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Veterinary Medical Association, oppose the use of leg-hold traps that are permitted under Canada Goose’s standard,” states the complaint. “The National Animal Care & Control association ‘strongly opposes the use of traps that capture the animal by the leg’ noting that ‘leg hold traps … can cause significant harm and even death to an animal in a cruel and inhumane manner.’”

In addition, the class action lawsuit alleges that Goose products are made using fur from snares, that work by strangulating trapped animals. The complaint alleges that many snares do not work properly and can lead to a prolonged and inhumane death for trapped animals. In addition, many areas do not require trappers to check snares very often or at all, says the plaintiff.

The class action lawsuit alleges that Canada Goose charges a premium for its products based on its representations that the fur it uses is ethically and sustainably sourced. The plaintiff says that the company capitalizes on consumers’ lack of knowledge about how such materials are obtained and that he and other consumers would not have purchased or paid as much for them had they known the true practices used to get the fur for their products.

Have you purchased a Canada Goose product with fur? What do you think of the class action allegations? Tell us in the comment section below!

The lead plaintiff and proposed Class Members are represented by Kim E. Richman and Jay Shooster of Richman Law Group.

The Canada Goose Deceptive Labeling Class Action Lawsuit is Lee v. Canada Goose US Inc., Case No. 1:20-cv-09809, in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

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