Imagine that a group of strangers knocks down your front door at random and kidnaps you and your family. Not only have they invaded your home, they also have plans to use your hair for a coat, your skin for their shoes, and whatever else they choose for living-room decorations. While this gruesome scenario is disturbing and difficult to imagine happening to us Homo sapiens, it’s an everyday reality for fur-bearing animals...

A few months ago, I went shopping with a friend of mine. It was hot and muggy outside, a typical summer Miami heat wave. There was a lot of traffic that day and it took us longer than expected to arrive to the store. By the time we got there, we were hungry and cranky. It was a Saturday and we would have been much happier at the beach...