PETA Calls On Chicagoans To Boycott Canada Goose

CHICAGO (CBS)-"I'm a living being, not jacket filling," reads a four-story billboard plastered in Chicago's River North neighborhood by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

A wailing goose with an open beak stars in the ad, which recently appeared on the side of a parking garage at Orleans and Illinois streets in opposition to the Canada Goose store on Michigan Avenue.

Known for producing arctic luxury apparel, Canada Goose has been around for about 60 years, but opened its flagship store at 800 N. Michigan Ave. in Chicago last fall.

Made with 100 percent goose down filling, the trendy coats aren't easy on geese or the other animals the company draws fur from to make its products.

Owning a Canada Goose coat also takes a toll on the wallet, with the brand's higher-end men's coats going for up to $1,600.

On the Canada Goose website, the company recognizes the views of animal rights activists, but defends its use of goose feathers and fur:

"We use down because it's recognized as the world's best natural insulator, providing approximately three times the warmth per ounce as synthetic insulators," a statement on the website reads. "Each ounce of down has approximately two million fluffy filaments that interlock and overlap to create insulating pockets of air, which is what keeps you warm."

Canada Goose purchases all of its down from Feather Industries Canada Ltd., a Canadian down-procurement company, according to the website.