The West Hollywood City Council is masterful at getting attention for making needless laws, from its cat-declawing ban to a prohibition on Circus animals (in a town that rarely if ever sees the circus come through).

See also: West Hollywood Bans Circus Animals For No Good Reason.

But perhaps WeHo's signature law is its nixing of fur sales in a city that had no furriers. The rule finally went into effect over the weekend — on the last day of summer, Saturday:

When the council first considered the issue a few years ago it was billed as the first retail fur ban in the United States.

Over the weekend the city described the rule as “one of the first its kind in the United States” and stated that the law …

… encourages the promotion of West Hollywood as a destination for cruelty-free and animal welfare events and the promotion of West Hollywood as the Humane Capital of the United States.

West Hollywood Mayor Pro Tempore John D'Amico:

I am pleased that the time has come for this ordinance to take effect. Our city attorney has written, and we approved, a strong ordinance that will withstand the test of time.

See also: Humongous Mall Project Sparks Controversy in West Hollywood City Council Race.

There you have it. As developers have pushed around City Hall with massive, traffic-clogging projects, the City Council has ensured that you were not able to buy a fur coat, in a town with no furriers, on the last day of summer.

Send feedback and tips to the author. Follow Dennis Romero on Twitter at @dennisjromero. Follow LA Weekly News on Twitter at @laweeklynews.

Advertising disclosure: We may receive compensation for some of the links in our stories. Thank you for supporting LA Weekly and our advertisers.