"Heidi Forbes Oste, a San Francisco-area resident who purchased a fox fur neck muff from Petit Mort last summer, said she's surprised at the pushback from animal rights groups. They're being short-sighted," she said. "We should be encouraging people to buy sustainable fur. These are animals that are already dead."

"Products by Petit Mort, which means "the little death" in French and also describes the sensation of orgasm, are decidedly high-end, ranging from $800 to $2,000, depending on the product and type of fur used. They can be found online and on Boston's fashionable Newbury Street, where the company rents display space in a handmade goods market. "The value that these products have is that they're handmade, local and last a lifetime," Paquin explains. "That's not just couture and high end, but that's also sustainable."

Each piece comes with a personal note explaining where and when the animal was found. Paquin works with animal control specialists to gather the carcasses, but skins many of them herself. She considers the process almost sacred and doesn't care much for the "roadkill" label. "It's a turnoff," Paquin said. "It cheapens my product."

"Are animals skinned alive for their fur?

Let's put an end to this myth, once and for all."