Anti-fur site commenters savagely attack owner of Natural Boutique
The owner of The Natural Boutique in St. John’s is taking the derogatory and even violent comments being made about her and her daughter on an anti-fur Facebook page with an ocean of salt.
© — Telegram file photo
Jennifer Shears and her daughter, Aspen, outside Mile One Centre Saturday night.
The anti-fur society page is labelled as an educational website and has put a link to a Telegram story on a pro-seal-product gathering that took place outside a Sarah McLachlan concert at Mile One Centre on Saturday.
The page has also posted the picture from The Telegram website of Natural Boutique owner Jennifer Shears holding her little girl, Aspen, in her arms.
Both are at the gathering in the picture and both are wearing seal fur products.
The Natural Boutique specializes in fur products, particularly seal.
The comments made on the anti-fur Facebook page make a number of derogatory comments about Shears. Others take aim at her daughter.
“How would she feel to see her baby skinned and around the neck of a polar bear,” one comment reads.
“Wonder how she would feel If somebody dragged her baby off her. Clubbed it to death and used its skin as a fashion item,” reads another.
It goes on from there.
“This picture is awful. It’s not beautiful nor is it appropriate to be holding a child that I hope one day resents her mother for putting her in a position like this.”
“Seal hunting will hopefully be banned soon! We just need to get rid of all of you Neanderthals. … She’s the ugliest woman I’ve looked at today. Ugly heart. Ugly face. I hope you get clubbed to death oh and by the way Ide (sic) gladly come up your way lol unfortunetly I live in Wales.”
“HORRIFIC PEOPLE! Let’s make human skin coats from these people for our pets! Then they understand the pain these innocent sweet animals have to endure! HATE THESE PEOPLE!”
“Disgusting humans. Their lives isn’t worth a penny. Please, makes us and animals a favor: end with your miserable lives.”
As the day progressed, more comments came, with more coming to the defence of Shears and the seal hunt in general.
Shears says it isn’t the first time she’s been targeted, but added she won’t take much time to comment on such nonsense.
“We’re proud to be the face of an industry that is sustainable and that will contribute to habitat protection in the long run, and creates biodegradable products that are sustainably harvested,” she told The Telegram from her store as young Aspen could be heard in the background.
“We’re proud to be the face of that. If anyone puts us down for being the face of that, then they’re not thinking about animal welfare long term.”
Shears also said that if she and her family were out to make real money, they would be on the side telling lies about the industry, because that’s where the dollars are.
“Aspen and I are both aboriginal, as well. So respect for animals and respect for the environment — that is fundamental to everything we do. It’s part of our being. So if anyone doubts me for being the face of that or doubts her for being the face of that, then so be it,” she said. “That’s something I will always stand for.”
josh.pennell@thetelegram.com
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Recent comments
Its funny how many uneducated are being told lies to make people rich ..... And it hurt to see people who promote culture and our living being treated like this because of it..... Its funny had people bad mouth seals but yet none about cows moose and chickens ....
you go jenn I'd do it to. We are Newfoundlanders and are proud of what we do and how we survive and make ends meet. It's been a way of life for decades. Don't let these ignorant people bring you down.