North Face Jackets Use Feathers From Force-Fed Geese

Catwoman hates birds.

Birds' Swollen Livers Are Sold After Being Force-Fed For Three Weeks

Something has gone fowl in those plushy North Face jackets. A new report reveals that the down used in the outdoor outfitter's clothing is harvested from force-fed geese, the same birds that are unceremoniously tortured for their fatty foie gras.

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The North Face, a leading manufacturer of weather-proof jackets and outerwear worn by the likes of Anne Hathaway, Angelina Jolie and President Barack Obama, is under fire for using down from birds that have been treated cruelly.

After pressures from various animal rights groups, executives from North Face's competitor, Patagonia, traveled to Hungary and discovered the local farms where they received a majority of their down practiced force-feeding.

"There was no doubt when we got there that these geese were used to make foie gras," said Steve Richardson, a director at Patagonia.

According to an animal rights charity spokesman, geese on these farms endure "three weeks of forced feeding" by having a metal tube inserted into their throats that pumps them full of grains. This swells their livers, which are then culled for delicacy meals around the world.

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The feather down used by North Face is a by-product of this force-feeding.

The company, which has said in the past that it does not use down from tortured geese, reported earnings of well over $1 billion worldwide last year.

North Face acknowledged that it is now aware of the process by which it receives its feathers and will attempt to find new cruelty-free suppliers.

"We are working with our partners to identify alternative long-term sources of goose down that is not a by-product of force-feeding," the company said in a statement.

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