A genius way to repurpose old, unwanted furs for a great cause.
'There are all these people who have inherited fur but don’t want fur and don’t know what to do with the fur.'
Fur in fashion gets a bad rap for a good reason.
While fur is a rightfully taboo fashion choice for many people, recent reports show it's unfortunately making a comeback on runways again.
So what can we do to curtail this cruel trend, aside from not buying furs and encouraging others to do the same?
What about all those old, unwanted furs people have inherited from previous generations? What should become of those?
What if we could use old furs to save baby animals?
Born Free USA, an animal advocacy nonprofit, is doing just that.
Wild bunnies. Photo by Kim Rutledge, Wildlife Rescue Center, Missouri, via Born Free USA.
Born Free has partnered up with over 16 wildlife rehabilitation centers nationwide to send them furs that have been donated by people from all over the world.
The furs are used to help rehabilitate baby animals who've been orphaned or injured.
Opossum sibling. Photo by Fund for the Animals via Born Free USA.
"There’s nothing that any of us can do to undo the cruelty that created those furs in the past," said Adam Roberts, CEO of Born Free USA. "But what we can do is try and have animals benefit from what is already out there. Give the furs a useful home."
River otter kits. Photo by Blue Ridge Wildlife Center via Born Free USA.
Roberts got the idea during an ivory crush he attended in Colorado. Ivory crushes are held to destroy a large amount of ivory in order to effectively remove it from market circulation and broadcast the message that ivory shouldn't be worn or used by anyone other than elephants.
"I started to think about other scenarios in which there are wildlife products we want to remove from the marketplace as a signal that there should be no commercial trade in those animals or their parts," Roberts said.
He did some research and found wildlife rehabilitation centers often collect blankets for wayward animals. He thought old furs might be similarly useful, and just like that, the Fur for the Animals was born.
Fur donations at Blue Ridge Wildlife Center. Photo by Chris Yurek via Born Free USA.
Born Free began calling for fur donations in 2014. Today, they've collected over 800 furs — worth an estimated $1.5 million.
They collect over a four-month period from September through December, which also happens to be the time when baby animals need the most help warming up.
While the animals themselves can't say what a difference the fur means to them, the photos below speak pretty loudly.
Just look at how much Reggie the Bobcat loves his fur blanket:
GIF via Born Free USA/YouTube.
And this baby skunk so cozy in his fox fur:
Photo by Fund for Animals via Born Free USA.
Or this bear cub doing yoga on his new fur mat:
Photo by Fund for Animals via Born Free USA.
And this injured baby squirrel nestling in fur while having a snack:
Photo by Nicholas Alexiy Moran, Urban Utopia Wildlife Rehabilitation in New York via Born Free USA.
Whether it's because it reminds them of their mothers or simply that it acts as a warm, safe haven, the wildlife centers report that the furs really do seem to aid these animals in their recovery.
One fur coat can go a long way, too. Case in point, these 28 coyote cubs who found comfort in one fox coat.
Not all 28 coyote cubs pictured because they can't all fit on the fur at the same time, but you get the idea. Photo by Fund for Animals via Born Free USA.
What's most encouraging to Roberts and the rest of Born Free USA are the letters they've received from donors who finally feel like their fur coats will serve some purpose.
As Roberts said, "There are all these people who have inherited fur but don’t want fur and don’t know what to do with the fur."
Think about it. You have this fur from a past relative that has never felt right to keep, but it never felt right to throw it away either, so it's been sitting in your closet for years, just taking up space. Born Free USA is your chance to get rid of the fur in a way that both honors its former owner, the animal that gave its life, and brings the fur back to the wild.
Like this person who donated their mother's fur coat:
Image via Born Free USA.
And this person who donated their grandmother's fur coat:
Image via Born Free USA.
Roberts himself donated his grandmother's old furs.
She was of the generation that had come through the Depression, he explained, and bought things like steaks and fur coats as a way of proving they had made it out.
"She was a big advocate for me. But she was also someone of a different generation," said Roberts. "I think she would've been very proud to know some good use came out of the furs she had, because even though she had them, she also appreciated the cause of animal protection and conservation."
Bobcat kitten on a bed of fur. Photo by Fund for Animals via Born Free USA.
Roberts hopes Fur for the Animals will not only give old furs a second life comforting injured animals, but that it will raise awareness of the abhorrent nature of the fur industry and help put a stop to it once and for all.
He is well aware of the cruelty of which the fur trade is capable. Showing what a positive effect old furs can have on animals may be the most effective way to get the world's attention. Once people have been engaged by the sweet photos, he hopes the "stop the fur industry" message will fall on more attentive ears.
Thousands of animals died to make these furs, and that's a sad reality we can't go back and rectify. We can't undo what's been done, but we can change what we do with the millions of unwanted furs that still exist — and we can make sure we're moving forward positively. Even if this doesn't bring the fur industry to a screeching halt, bringing these furs back to wildlife is perhaps the only fitting way to end their story — with a new beginning.
"Now your fishes will be warmed."
"To have one’s eyes lined with ham."
"To lay your head in water."
"Repetition teaches the donkey."
"I only understand train station."
"To speak directly from the liver."
"Horse horse, tiger tiger."
Beaver in water. Photo by 
An actual beaver dam on the now-thriving Price River
Medusa image of giant squid in Gulf of Mexico off of Mississippi Gulf CoastPhoto credit: 
Sign warning against feeding alligators next to alligator in Mississippi marshlandsCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
Mississippi Gulf Coast beach in BiloxiCourtesy of Jacalyn Wetzel
2009 photo of giant squid caught in Gulf of Mexico near Mississippi GulfPhoto credit: 
Thank goodness this story has a happy ending.
There's a reason why some people can perfectly copy accents, and others can't
Turns out, there's a neurodivergent link.
A woman in black long sleeve shirt stands in front of mirror.
Have you ever had that friend who goes on vacation for four days to London and comes back with a full-on Queen's English posh accent? "Oooh I left my brolly in the loo," they say, and you respond, "But you're from Colorado!" Well, there are reasons they (and many of us) do that, and usually it's on a pretty subconscious level.
It's called "accent mirroring," and it's actually quite common with people who are neurodivergent, particularly those with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). According Neurolaunch, the self-described "Free Mental Health Library," "Accent mirroring, also known as accent adaptation or phonetic convergence, is the tendency to unconsciously adopt the accent or speech patterns of those around us. This linguistic chameleon effect is not unique to individuals with ADHD, but it appears to be more pronounced and frequent in this population."
Essentially, when people have conversations, we're constantly "scanning" for information—not just the words we're absorbing, but the inflection and tone. "When we hear an accent, our brains automatically analyze and categorize the phonetic features, prosody, and intonation patterns," writes Neurolaunch. For most, this does result in copying the accent of the person with whom we're speaking. But those with ADHD might be more sensitive to auditory cues. This, "coupled with a reduced ability to filter out or inhibit the impulse to mimic…could potentially explain the increased tendency for accent mirroring."
While the article explains further research is needed, they distinctly state that, "Accent mirroring in individuals with ADHD often manifests as an unconscious mimicry of accents in social situations. This can range from subtle shifts in pronunciation to more noticeable changes in intonation and speech rhythm. For example, a person with ADHD might find themselves unconsciously adopting a Southern drawl when conversing with someone from Texas, even if they’ve never lived in the South themselves."
People are having their say online. On the subreddit r/ADHDWomen, a thread began: "Taking on accents is an ADHD thing?" The OP shares, "My whole life, I've picked up accents. I, myself, never noticed, but everyone around me would be like, 'Why are you talking like that??' It could be after I watched a show or movie with an accent or after I've traveled somewhere with a different accent than my 'normal.'
They continue, "Apparently, I pick it up fast, but it fades out slowly. Today... I'm scrolling Instagram, I watch a reel from a comedian couple (Darcy and Jeremy. IYKYK) about how Darcy (ADHD) picks up accents everywhere they go. It's called ADHD Mirroring??? And it's another way of masking."
(The OP is referring to Darcy Michaels and his husband Jeremy Baer, who are both touring comedians based in Canada.)
Hundreds of people on the Reddit thread alone seem to relate. One comments, "Omfg I've done this my whole life; I'll even pick up on the pauses/spaces when I'm talking to someone who is ESL—but English is my first language lol."
Sometimes, it can be a real issue for those around the chameleon. "I accidentally mimicked a waitress's weird laugh one time. As soon as she was out of earshot, my family started to reprimand me, but I was already like 'oh my god I don’t know why I did that, I feel so bad.'"
Many commenters on TikTok were shocked to find out this can be a sign of ADHD. One jokes, "Omg, yes, at a store the cashier was talking to me and she was French. She's like 'Oh are you French too? No, I'm not lol. I'm very east coast Canada."
And some people just embrace it and make it work for them. "I mirror their words or phrase! I’m 30. I realized I start calling everyone sweetie cause my manager does & I work at coffee shop."