Ogg Boots Ethics

In Minnesota, the primary season is winter. As Minnesotans, we know to dress for the weather, in particular, wearing warm boots. A popular brand of boots to wear most winters, among the females I know, has been UGG boots for the past nine years. UGG started in Australia as the boots were worn by surfers while they were on the beach to keep warm, then UGG expanded to trend all over the world. There are controversies over whether UGG boots are ethical to purchase because they are made of animal fur. After in depth research, I have concluded that UGG produces their boots ethically, making them ethical to purchase. From the beginning, UGG sets standards for their materials before coming into contact with them. On UGG’s website they claim that they “are among the leaders in ethical supply chain for consumer goods” (Craftsmanship and Materials). UGG continues to provide links to other parts of their website for further understanding of their practices. On the animal welfare frequently asked

Mulesing is a process where skin is painfully removed from the sheep’s hindquarters. UGG believes that mulesing is “cruel and inhumane” and they make sure that their sheep have not been exposed to this practice (Animal Welfare FAQ). Mulesing mainly occurs in Australia on 100% Merino sheep and UGG does not use this type of sheep for the sheepskin. Vowing to never use mulesed sheep has started influencing other companies’ policies on mulesed animals. Another controversy that is alarming to the public is whether or not sheep are killed solely for their wool. UGG uses sheep that are killed for their meat, where the sheepskin is a byproduct. UGG stands by their belief that “no sheep should ever be raised for their sheepskin alone,” showing that they take the ethical treatment of their materials seriously (Animal Welfare