Joaquin Phoenix Speaks Out for Ducks Stabbed for Down
Oscar winner Joaquin Phoenix is urging anyone with a heart to avoid anything made with down, such as duvets and clothing.
His call comes on the heels of a new PETA exposé showing workers electrocuting birds and stabbing them in the neck before their feathers are sold by high-profile brands under the deceptively named “Responsible Down Standard” label.
See the investigative footage, narrated by Joaquin, for yourself:
Responsible Down Standard Labelling Lies
The Responsible Down Standard scheme is used to assure customers that down from abused birds doesn’t end up in products marked with its label, but nothing could be further from the truth. When PETA Asia’s investigators went inside farms and slaughterhouses in Vietnam connected to companies that sell “responsible” down – including Marks & Spencer, GAP Inc, GUESS, and H&M – they uncovered unspeakable cruelty.
The video narrated by Joaquin – which is less graphic than the full, explicit version – shows that ducks were hung upside down in shackles and dragged through an electrified water bath that paralysed them but didn’t render them unconscious before workers stabbed them in the neck and left them hanging and bleeding out. Many were seen moving for more than a minute afterwards.
Ditch Down
The only way to end this cruelty is to stop buying items that contain feathers. Please remember to check the label, and if it lists down as a material, even if it claims it is “responsible”, think of these ducks and leave the item on the shelf.
How You Can Help
We’re calling on Marks & Spencer and all other companies that still peddle feathers to ban the sale of all down, regardless of which deceptive assurance scheme it’s labelled with. Please join us by sending them a message now:
