Justin Trudeau has found himself under attack by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, who are angry that over a photo of the Liberal MP and his family clad in fur.

The photo depicts Trudeau, his wife and two young children sitting under a fur blanket, wearing parkas with fur-rimmed hoods. It was featured on a Christmas card that Trudeau sent to constituents in his Montreal riding.

PETA called the image "a lurid way of celebrating peace on Earth" for showing coyote fur.

A spokesperson for the group, Jane Dollinger, said the fur was a product of misery. Steel-jaw traps are often used to kill coyotes, she said, which have been banned in many countries.

Alex Lanthier, a spokesperson for Trudeau's office, said the MP and his family were wearing jackets made by the Canada Goose company, which is based in Canada and produces fur in a "sustainable way."

Meanwhile Canada Goose said it adheres to guidelines by the Fur Council of Canada, it sources fur in a humane way and adds fur to its products "only as absolutely necessary, and exclusively for functional purposes."

The council also defended the fur industry in Canada, saying that it's well regulated.

"We're not using any endangered species," said Allan Herscovici, the council's executive vice-president. "In fact, the fur trade's an environmental success story of sustainable use of a renewable resource."

Lanthier said that while this may be the first time Trudeau's family has been photographed in fur, the MP's late father and former prime minister appeared in fur-lined parkas many times.

Trudeau posted a message on Twitter Friday afternoon implying that he did not intend to spark controversy with his family portrait.

"I'm glad to support both Canadian products and sustainable fur," he wrote. "But it's mostly just a family Christmas card."

With files from CTV Montreal's Catherine Sherriffs and The Canadian Press