BRUSSELS, 3 SEPTEMBER – Previously unpublished footage from Finnish fur farms shows that so-called “monster foxes”, animals selectively bred to grow unnaturally large for larger pelts, continue to be bred despite years of criticism, industry promises of reform, and legislation intended to prevent animal suffering.

The photos and videos, recorded between November 2025 and April 2026 on farms in Lapua, Veteli and Kauhava, were provided to the animal advocacy organisation Project 1882 by an anonymous source. They document foxes with extreme skin folds, severe eye infections, untreated injuries and impaired mobility, housed in barren wire-mesh cages.

The footage comes at a critical moment for the future of fur farming in Europe. Pressure is mounting on the European Commission to act following the Fur Free Europe initiative, which attracted more than 1.5 million signatures calling for an EU-wide ban on fur farming. While the Commission had been expected to present its response in March, a decision has been delayed until after summer. At the same time, a Swedish government inquiry published on 30 April 2026 has proposed a nationwide ban on the breeding and keeping of animals for fur production, arguing for legislation that would apply to all animal species kept primarily for fur or skin production.

Photo credit: Project 1882

Public attention was drawn to so-called “monster foxes” in 2017, when images from Finnish fur farms revealed animals bred to grow unnaturally large in order to produce bigger, more valuable pelts. Despite subsequent industry assurances that such breeding practices would end, the new material shows that they continue today. This year, Finnish auction house Saga Furs even introduced a new, larger size category for fox pelts, further rewarding the production of oversized animals. At its March 2026 auction, Saga Furs offered 12,769 Blue Fox pelts in a size 70 category, larger than the maximum established by the industry following the 2017 scandal. 

Benny Andersson, CEO Project 1882, says:

“This footage shows that serious animal welfare problems remain embedded in the fur industry,” , “As the EU considers the future of fur farming, policymakers must decide what level of animal suffering Europe is willing to accept for luxury products.”

Joh Vinding, Chair of the Fur Free Alliance, says:

“Nearly a decade ago, the fur industry was exposed for breeding grotesquely oversized foxes and claimed that this would stop. Despite the breeding of these oversized foxes being condemned by EFSA for serious welfare violations, the fur industry’s broken promise is exposed by these new images. In 2026, in the European Union, these suffering animals continue to be bred for their fur, and the biggest pelts are still being sold and rewarded. The European Commission should draw the obvious conclusion: a fur industry that cannot keep its own welfare promises cannot be trusted to regulate itself. Europe needs a Fur Free Europe, not another system of industry standards.”