Ali MacGraw has signed on to front a hard-hitting new PETA video about China's fur trade.
In the new public service clip, which will debut on TV across North America later this month (Feb10), the actress asks, "What is the true cost of a little bit of fur trim?" before explaining all about the cruelty that goes on behind closed doors to give the fashion-conscious what they desire.
The PETA PSA follows fur-wearing defiance from hip-hop stars Kelis and Kanye West and Olympic ice skater Johnny Weir, who each took aim at the animal rights group for attacking their fashion choices.
Weir has since ditched his fur-lined garments for fake-fur as he skates in Vancouver at the Winter Games.
The new MacGraw-fronted film features footage from an undercover investigation in China, which left the actress stunned and compelled to help spread the word.
MacGraw explains, "In China, animals used for fur spend their entire lives in cramped, filthy cages... Raccoon dogs, who are members of the canine family, are bludgeoned, beaten, and stomped to death in the name of fashion. The injured animals watch helplessly and in terror as workers continue to mutilate and abuse them.
"Often, raccoon dogs and other animals are still alive and struggling as the skin is ripped from their bodies. They may remain conscious, in agony, for several minutes after they have been completely skinned."
MacGraw admits the footage brought her to tears and left her enraged: "I've had dogs and cats for most of my life, and every time I hear about the atrocities of the fur trade in China, all I can think of is my dog draped around my neck on the collar of a cardigan, my cat as cuffs on a throw-away fashion statement coat, and it makes me crazy."