Animal Welfare Policy

DAKS SIMPSON LIMITED
(company number 02508094)

 


ANIMAL WELFARE POLICY

DAKS Simpson Limited (DAKS) is committed to sourcing its products responsibly and to working towards improving animal welfare in relation to the animal derived components used in our products. This DAKS Animal Welfare Policy has been developed in consideration of the following Five Domains of Welfare widely used in animal legislation.  

    Five Domains of Welfare - Nutrition, Environment, Health, Behaviour, Mental State

    Third party certifications with the most robust animal welfare standards which offer full traceability from farm to retailer are recognised by DAKS as the most appropriate way to help improve animal welfare standards. Where animal derived components are used in our products, DAKS is continually working towards increasing the percentage of these components certified to recognised Third Party certifications.

    The DAKS Environmental and Sustainability Policy aims to source 100% of our main raw materials through known, responsible or certified routes.

    Real Fur

    The use of all real fur is banned. This includes the following list of specific furs: (N.B. this list is for clarification only and is not exhaustive)

    • farmed fur such as fox, sable, mink, chinchilla, racoon and rabbit
    • fur from rabbits bred for food production
    • fur from cats and dogs (Legislation EU 2006/0236)
    • fur from animals that have been aborted artificially (Karakul, Astrakhan, broadtail, Persian lamb, swakara, krimmer, slink)
    • Mongolian sheepskin
    • fur from animals caught from the wild
    • fur from wild animals culled for population (or other) control
    • fur from animals listed as endangered or threatened species according to;

    CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna www.cites.org)

    IUCN red list (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources www.iucnredlist.org)

    Labelling of synthetic fur

    Artificial/synthetic fur must be used instead of real fur and all products made from or containing artificial/synthetic fur must be clearly labelled as ‘faux fur’ to prevent confusion or unnecessary offence.

    Wool and Animal Hair

    The use of the following wool and animal hair is banned (N.B. this list is for clarification only and is not exhaustive). Wool or hair from;

    • Angora rabbits, mohair goats, badgers, mongoose, otters, racoon, sable, vicuna and squirrels
    • Alpaca that is not certified to the Responsible Alpaca Standard (RAS)
    • Animals that have been live plucked
    • Animals caught from the wild
    • Wild animals culled for population (or other) control e.g. badger

    Product Sourcing Policy

    - animals listed as endangered or threatened species according to;

    CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna www.cites.org)

    IUCN red list (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources www.iucnredlist.org)

    DAKS believes that every effort must be made to end cruel animal welfare practices and ensure that all parties progressively work towards achieving a high standard of animal welfare for the animals from which the wool or animal hair is collected and no inhumane practices are carried out at any stage of the process including the upkeep, transportation and slaughter of the animals. This includes the following principles;

    - Wool or hair must not be plucked from a live animal

    - Wool or hair must be only collected by grooming, clipping or shearing and this must be undertaken humanely by trained operatives using appropriate equipment

    - Animals must not be forcefully restrained during wool or hair collection

    - Animals must be reared in enclosures or cages large enough to allow for normal animal behaviour,

    exercise and interaction with other animals. Animals must not be reared in small enclosures or cages

    Alpaca

    We do not use any alpaca in our products.

    Angora

    We do not use any angora in our products.

    Cashmere

    DAKS aims to have all cashmere fibre used in DAKS products to  be certified to one of the approved DAKS responsible sourcing standards listed:

    - Good Cashmere Standard (GCS) certified cashmere fibre

    - Global Recycled Standard (GRS) or Recycled Claims Standard (RCS) certified recycled cashmere fibre

    - The product must be fully labelled in accordance with the rules of the certification

    - The certification body name and licence number details must be declared to DAKS and displayed at point of sale where applicable

    - All relevant certificates and traceability documents must be in place

    In addition;

    - cashmere fibre must not be plucked from a live animal and must be collected by combing, shearing or clipping

    - cashmere fibre must not be collected at inappropriate times of the season

    - DAKS acknowledges the environmental concerns, especially in Mongolia regarding the degradation of soil and desertification of grasslands due to overgrazing and will work to encourage certification bodies to push improvements to their standards in these areas as well as to increase the levels of farm audits carried out

    Merino Wool

    DAKS Policy on Mulesing

    DAKS believes the practice of mulesing to prevent fly strike causes very considerable distress and suffering to lambs and alternative approaches should be applied instead of mulesing. DAKS aims to have  only Merino wool that is classed as “non-mulesed’’ or “ceased mulesed’’ to be  permitted for use in DAKS products and have the  use of all other classes of Merino wool to be  banned.

    Product Sourcing Policy

    DAKS believes the prevention of fly strike is very important for sheep welfare and encourages the use of alternative approaches to control fly strike instead of mulesing.

    DAKS requires its suppliers to provide proof that the merino wool is either non-mulesed or ceased mulesed and aims to have aims to have  all merino wool used in DAKS products to  be certified to one of the approved DAKS responsible sourcing standards listed below;

    - Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certified merino wool

    - ZQ Merino

    - NATIVA

    TM

    - The product must be fully labelled in accordance with the rules of the certification

    - The certification body name and licence number details must be declared to DAKS and displayed at point of sale where applicable

    - All relevant certificates and traceability documents must be in place

    Mohair

    We use mohair in some of our products.

    - The product must be fully labelled in accordance with the rules of the certification

    - The certification body name and licence number details must be declared to DAKS and displayed at point of sale where applicable

    - All relevant certificates and traceability documents must be in place

    Wool

    DAKS aims to have all wool fibre used in DAKS products to  be certified to one of the approved DAKS responsible sourcing standards listed below Responsible Wool Standard (RWS) certified wool fibre

    - Global Recycled Standard (GRS) or Recycled Claims Standard (RCS) certified recycled wool fibre

    - The product must be fully labelled in accordance with the rules of the certification

    - The certification body name and licence number details must be declared to DAKS and displayed at point of sale where applicable

    - All relevant certificates and traceability documents must be in place

    Yak

    We do not use any Yak in our products.

    Leather and Skins

    The use of the following leather and skins is banned (N.B. this list is for clarification only and is not exhaustive)

    Leather and skins from;

    - animals that have only been bred for their skins. This includes all ‘exotic leather and skins’ including

    alligator, crocodile, lizard and exotic reptiles, ostrich, shark, snake etc

    - animals that have been aborted artificially (Karakul, Astrakhan, broadtail, Persian lamb, swakara,

    krimmer, slink)

    - Mongolian sheep specifically Mongolian sheepskin

    - cows slaughtered in India

    - from animals slaughtered in Bangladesh or from Bangladesh tanneries

    - from calves reared in veal crates

    - animals that have been live skinned or live boiled

    - animals caught from the wild

    - deer, horse, kangaroo, ostrich, pony and rabbit

    Product Sourcing Policy

    - wild animals culled for population (or other) control e.g. badger, deer and kangaroo

    - animals listed as endangered or threatened species according to;

    CITES (Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Flora and Fauna www.cites.org)

    IUCN red list (International Union for Conservation of Nature and Natural Resources www.iucnredlist.org)

    Deforestation and traceability of leather and skins

    DAKS suppliers must provide information on the full leather or skin supply chain including finished, crust and wet blue tanners, slaughterhouses, country of origin of the animal, and species of the animal.

    DAKS acknowledges the connection between leather and deforestation and is committed to meeting the requirements of the EU Deforestation Regulation (EUDR). Suppliers of all leather and skins at high risk from being sourced from areas at risk from deforestation (Brazil (Brazilian Biome), Bolivia, Columbia, Ecuador, Peru, Paraguay, Argentina, Mexico, Guatemala and Australia) must work with their tanneries to map their supply chain to slaughter and identify the location of all slaughterhouses.

    DAKS aims to have all bovine (cow) leather sourced from areas at risk from deforestation to be mapped.

    Feathers and Down

    We do not use any feathers or down in our products.

    Product Sourcing Policy

    Silk

    DAKS are keeping a watching brief on silk and will update the Animal Welfare Policy with guidance as and when suitable responsibly sourced silk is available. Until then, the use of silk alternatives should be maximised and the use of real silk phased out. Real silk should only be used if alternatives have been explored first.

    Pearls

    All pearls must be a by-product of the food industry and the region and country of origin of the pearl must be known.

    Last updated November 2025