Many shoppers shy away from products that contain animal fur, whether because of their personal beliefs where animals come into play, or because mink coats are known to be rather expensive. But what if the fur came from an animal that no one else really wanted, one that’s been left by the roadside as roadkill?

That’s the plan behind one woman’s roadkill fur company, Petite Mort: She’s taking some of the more than 1 million animals killed daily on the highways and byways of America and turning their pelts into bespoke couture fur accessories that go for some pretty high prices.

Modern Farmer takes a look at the company owner’s approach to “ethical fur,” an effort she started as an animal lover.

“It’s so much a part of everyday life to see these animals,” she says. “Who of us doesn’t look away? You don’t want to see it because when you fully soak in the meaning of what happened, it’s emotionally draining.”

To get started, she had to learn from a taxidermist how to skin and scrape an animal pelt before it could be sent to a tannery. Her first attempt was with a dead raccoon and some booze. If this were me, “some” would mean the bottle.

“We both had a shot of whiskey, I put some peppermint oil under my nose, and we found a branch in the woods to hang this thing from. It was super intense,” she says.

After that, the furs go to a tannery in Idaho that is willing to work with partial pelts. The bodies of the roadkill are given a burial in the woods, where she says a little prayer for them, “the giveaway prayer, a prayer of thanks. You’re thanking the animal spirit.”

When she has the fur pieces in hand, she waits for someone to commission a piece, from neck muffs to leg warmers. Her creations go for upwards of $1,000, except for hats, which range from $380 to $500 (Davy Crockett, anyone?).

Which makes us wonder, while gripped with a strong case of the ewwwwwwwws:

One Woman Is Revolutionizing the Fur Industry. By Using Roadkill. [Modern Farmer]

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