Animal rights activists gave fur the cold shoulder on Friday during an anti-fur protest in front of the Lynden Park Mall on Wayne Gretzky Parkway.

"We're here to expose the cruelty of fur," Compassion for Animals spokesperson Bob Timmons said.

The small group of protestors, mostly from Toronto, stripped down to their underwear at noon in -3 C weather, posing with hearts that read "have a heart don't buy fur."

The protest lasted about an hour.

Brantford resident Joyce Braun was among those who shed their clothes to send a message.

"What most people don't realize is that the majority of animals used for fur are used for fur trim, which is still widely available in this community," she said. "There are no labelling requirements for fur garments, so anyone could be wearing fur now and not know it."

Timmons said any garment with less than 25 per cent fur content does not need to be labelled.

Friday's action was one of 20 similar Compassion for Animals demonstrations across the county as part of national anti-fur day.

Protests were planned in cities including Halifax, Ottawa, Brockville, Guelph and Edmonton.

The animal rights group is based in Toronto and has chapters throughout North America. For more information, visit www.compassion4animals.org.