Leather is a bit of a paradox in that it has a beautiful aesthetic but comes at a cost. I’ve been a vegan for over two years now, but just recently, I learned facts that forever changed my perspective on leather goods.

China is the world’s leading producer of cheap leather, and many animals are killed every year to produce purses, gloves, belts, etc. And unfortunately, dogs make up a large amount of the slaughtered animals used to provide cheap leather.

According to the Guardian’s report on this issue:

The US banned the importation of dog and cat fur and skin, which is punishable by fines up to $10,000, as part of the Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000. But distinguishing dog and cat leather from cow, sheep and pig leather is no easy matter, making it possible for unscrupulous manufacturers to pass off leather from dogs as leather from legal animals. A report by the Congressional Research Service shows that in 2014, the US imported $8.5 billion in leather articles from China. It is unknown how much of each year’s total might be dog or cat leather.

In November 2014, an undercover investigator for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) Asia infiltrated one of the slaughterhouses where 100 to 200 dogs every day were being used to make leather. I’ll let you do the math per week, per month, per year. Every year, the global leather industry uses more than a billion animals to produce leather. No matter how you calculate it, the outcome is too high.

There is always something we can do to help. In this case, the most effective way to end this practice is to use the power we have with our money and resources.

Here are my Top 5 Vegan Leather Purse Brands that offer great quality and affordable prices.