Target: San Francisco District Attorney George Gascón
Goal: Praise District Attorney Gascón for charging shop owner who possessed and sold endangered animal products.
In mid-December of last year, San Francisco shop owner Cicely Hansen was held accountable in court for possessing and selling products made from an endangered species. She was sentenced to three years of probation, 500 hours of community service, and penalties of $3,599. This court trial followed a raid in Hansen’s vintage clothing shop in April 2016 by the Department of Fish and Wildlife, where more than 150 items made of turtles, ocelots, jaguars, leopards, seals, pythons, and snow leopards were found. She claimed she did not traffic new items and pleaded no contest to the charges.
Last year, a petition on ForceChange demanded that the shop owner be held accountable for her actions, and now justice has been served. Although the sentence might be light considering all the items found in her shop, her sentence is still a step towards abolishing the illegal market.
District Attorney George Gascon said, “Individuals who traffic in these goods must be held accountable to eliminate a market that contributes to these species’ demise,” and that these animals have no second chance once they are gone, since many of them are endangered. Hansen claimed that she did not know the laws, that she is an animal rights activist, and that she does not condone poaching. Surely, she must know that selling products made from endangered animals is contributing to their deaths.
This is just one individual and one shop that has been held accountable. Unfortunately, poaching endangered animals for their skin and fur is a lucrative market. However, we must celebrate our community’s success. Sign the petition below to thank District Attorney George Gascon for following through on this case and charging this shop owner for selling endangered animal products.
PETITION LETTER:
Dear Attorney Gascon,
Last year, you charged Cicely Hansen, the infamous vintage clothing shop owner, for possessing and selling products made of endangered animals. These animals included ocelots and snow leopards, along with threatened species like jaguars. In December of last year, Hansen was sentenced to three years of probation and 500 hours of community service, and charged $3,599 in penalties.
Although Hansen claimed ignorance of the laws regarding the sale of these products and asserted that she does not condone poaching, she still plays a role in this illegal market.
I have you to thank for following through on your charges and making sure that we are one step closer to eliminating a market that contributes to many species’ extinction. Fashion is not just cause to kill endangered animals, and I hope that you continue to champion animal rights.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo Credit: Emma Forsberg
The sentence was way too light. She should have had jail time but at least it’s a step in the right direction. I hope people boycott her shop too.
That stupid bitch knows dam well that animals suffer for their skins or fur! Lock her up and throw away the key!
She would have known but did it anyway – Regular Inspections by under cover Fauna Squad officers in these areas plus checks on the Chinese “Herbal Medicine” racket in all China Towns around the world – Make It So Hot They Just Can’t Sell Their b.s. Potions
She got off way too easy. What about throwing her in jail????
shame of mankind
PROVERBS 12:10