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Earlier this week on my Facebook page, I asked friends a hypothetical question.

If someone gave you a non-vegan clothing-type gift, what would you do with it?

A non-vegan gift would be anything that was made of animal products. Learn more here. I loved all the answers so much that I’m posting them here for all to read. As you will see, there is no one right way to handle this situation — to each his own. Here’s what people said:

This has happened to me before and I’ve quietly accepted the gift. If that were to happen now, I would gently decline it and point them in the direction of what I’d prefer instead. (Of course, it depends a lot on who gave me the gift, too.)

Saying “I appreciate the gesture but I can’t accept it” and give it back right away.

Bin it.

I would probably wear new boots to avoid hurting feelings, see if I could return/trade a leather coat. But the greatist gift I ever got was a leather wallet and I use it every day because it was given by someone special.

I’d take it and give it to Good Will.

Wear it!

A friend just gave me a leather purse… she is well aware that I’m vegan, she just doesn’t equate leather with veganism. I will tell her nicely, that in the future, no animal products, please. I gave the purse to my daughter, who is not vegan and probably never will be.

That is a really hard question. My husband has a leather coat that he wears and has worn for years, but I won’t even wear leather. To each his own. I would have to pass it on to someone else however rather than use it myself. I couldn’t throw it out, since the animal had already been used anyway. I just would not use an animal’s body to beautify my own.

If wool or leather, pass it on to one of the local charity shops, anything else probably wear it.

Don’t wear it. Sell it and donate money.

Donate it to a shelter assuming you are speaking of a wearable item.

If I can’t return it/exchange it then I would utilize it, otherwise the animal’s sacrifice would be in vein. Unless my mom gave it to me — I tell her “this is not vegan! Stop buying me non-vegan things please! Do you want to keep it for yourself?” and if she doesn’t then I take it and wear it. She knows what veganism is completely but when she is on vacation she always buys locally made items and usually those items have wool in them. She always claims that those animals were treated very nicely and are very happy. She always tries to justify it. Ha.

Let them watch as I bury it.

Donate it or return it if possible.

Non-hypothetically: I exchanged it for a vegan item. Saddest still, it was given to me by my brother!

Graciously accept it.

I have given back gifts because they were non-vegan They understood!

I hope you don’t mean real fur. That is a deal breaker for friendship.

Now it’s your turn. What would you do? Let me know in the comments section below.