The fur is flying between Olympic figure skater Johnny Weir and animal rights activists. A little tuft of white Arctic fox fur on his costume during his free skate performance at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January has raised the ire of the animal rights group Friends of Animals. “When Johnny Weir put that white fur on his costume … (He) mocked the animals he adorned his costume with,” said Priscilla Feral, president of Friends of Animals, an animal rights activist group.I don’t own fur, but I eat meat and wear leather. Does this mean I condone animal cruelty? No. In fact, a month ago I was arguing against fur with a friend of mine and began to wonder: What’s the big deal?I understand why Friends of Animals and other animal rights advocates protest wearing fur.They argue that animals raised in fur farms are only killed for their skins and the rest of the carcass is wasted. Most of these advocates are consistent about practicing what they preach, but I get irritated by the hypocrisy of meat eaters who consider it cruel to wear fur. Ultimately, it’s going to come down to how you feel about killing other living creatures for your benefit – but there is a belief that wearing leather is better than fur.Feral said that leather is more socially accepted because it is a byproduct of people eating the meat for which the cow is slaughtered. Teresa Platt, director of Fur Commission USA, a nonprofit fur trade association, said many of the animal remains from a fur farm are fed to other domesticated animals. “Waste is expensive, you try to reduce it as much as possible,” Platt said. “You’d be surprised how much is left over (of pigs).” So even though humans don’t eat the rest of the animal, it is being eaten by other animals. In addition to providing pelts, the remains yield byproducts like protein meal and mink oil. How’s that for recycle, reduce, reuse? And if you’ve been trekking to class in Ugg boots this winter, then guess what? You’re wearing fur because shearling is the pelt of a sheep that still has all of the hairs attached. “I find a lot of people say “I don’t wear fur,’ and then they’re wearing Ugg boots,” Platt said. “You got this real disconnect with what we’re wearing and what we’re eating and how it’s produced.” My grandfather was a rancher his entire life. He bred, raised and slaughtered his own sheep and turkey for holiday dinners, in addition to raising rabbits used for glaucoma research. He had respect for the animals he raised, regardless of their intended purpose. And when it was time for dinner, he made the animal’s slaughter as quick and painless as he could.It is from him that I learned we are the rulers of the animal kingdom, but we still owe them a good life and quick death. The fur industry has a voluntary labeling program called Origin Assured, which assures people buying fur that it is from a country with production regulations and standards. For someone buying an Origin Assured mink coat, this means they can be confident that the animals were put down humanely, as Platt said gassing is the most common method used for minks. It’s the rough equivalent of buying certified organic beef or conflict-free diamonds, if you will. Despite how all of this might seem, I’m not trying to encourage anyone to buy fur.But for what it’s worth, Platt said beaver makes a great steak.Julia Baum can be reached at [email protected]