San Francisco supervisors have voted UNANIMOUSLY to ban the sale of fur, furthering the city’s animal-loving credentials as it becomes the largest U.S. city to approve the prohibition.

Animal welfare advocates around the world cheered news of Tuesday’s vote, applauding the city for its compassion and hoping that the legislation will catch on.

The ban takes effect Jan. 1 and applies to apparel and accessories featuring real fur, including coats, key chains and gloves. An amendment added Tuesday allows furriers and other retailers to sell current inventory until January 1, 2020.

Wayne Hsiung, co-founder of animal rights network Direct Action Everywhere, said in a statement that “this historic act will usher in a new wave of animal rights legislation across the globe.”

San Francisco is named after St Francis,  the patron saint of animals,  and has a reputation for a strong social conscience,

Respect for Animals pays tribute to Katy Tang, the supervisor behind the fur ban legislation. After the vote Katy said:

San Francisco just became the first major U.S. city to ban the sale of new fur apparel and accessories! The Board of Supervisors just passed my ordinance 10-0 to ban the sale of new fur apparel and accessories beginning January 1, 2019.

After a major announcement that Donatella Versace will no longer be using fur in her designs – following the likes of Gucci, Giorgio Armani, Michael Kors, and always-vegan brand Stella McCartney – I know that this is the right thing to move animal welfare forward. Profiting off of the literal backs of animals is not right and we will no longer tolerate animal cruelty in the city of St. Francis!

Mayor Mark Farrell said he plans to sign the legislation.

About 50 clothing and accessory retailers downtown will be affected by the legislation, said Jim Lazarus, senior vice president of public policy at the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce. Reselling vintage and used fur by outlets not usually in the business of trading fur, such as secondhand stores, pawn shops and nonprofits, will still be allowed, but the ban does cover internet sales bought from outside of the city to be delivered inside.

The city says the legislation is unlikely to significantly harm the overall local economy.

Scrambling around in sheer desperation, the Fur Information Council of America and the International Fur Federation wrote to supervisors before the vote, seeking to partner with the city to launch a rigorous certification program that it said would ensure animal and environmental health. Given the unanimous vote, legislators clearly saw through the fur industry’s bogus labelling claims. Hopefully politicians in the UK will also do so during the Environment (EFRA) Parliamentary Committee’s inquiry into fur labelling.

San Francisco joins two other California cities, West Hollywood and Berkeley, in saying no to fur.