Kisscafe

Like lots of you out there, I'm a pet owner. I have a big fluffy white dog and a wicked cat that likes to claw things, like my bedsheets and my face. Naturally, I was appalled when I heard through the Humane Society's expose, fur lined garments made in China like the coats, hats, boots and gloves we see everywhere, are not faux, but actually lined with real cat and dog fur. And here we thought Cruella DeVille was just a fictional character.
Most of the garments that are made are not full coats, but rather, the trim on a coat, boots, gloves, and hats, which makes them easier to pass as faux fur. Since there are no labeling regulations in China, they don't require labeling to indicate that the fur has actually come from, say, a Golden Retriever or a German Shepherd. Those that do put labels on their products, do so to make them appear more valuable, often mislabel them as being from animals like, "Asian wolf" or "rabbit". These bits of fur are usually dyed to look faux or like they are from a different animal.

It was estimated that in the Chinese fur industry, over 2 million cats and dogs are killed and skinned every year. The fur producers use abhorrently brutal methods to kill the animals and needless to say, their living conditions are less than humane. The methods used to kill the animals include stringing dogs up by their paws and cutting a main artery in their hind legs to let them bleed to death while causing minimal damage to the fur, strangling cats, or throwing animals from trucks with the hopes of breaking necks and backs. Even more disturbing, these methods are not always effective, and some animals are skinned while they are still alive. The animals that are used for fur are any animal that the suppliers can get their hands on, be it from strays or family pets that have been caught. If you're brave enough, you can watch this video, but be aware that there are very graphic and disturbing images.
In 2000, largely thanks to the Humane Society's work and public pressure, importing and selling these products in the United States became illegal. In Canada, however, it is not. Furthermore, there are no strict labeling regulations in place to prevent garment producers from misleaing people to believe that the trim on their clothes is real, or made from cats and dogs. Under the Textiles Labelling act, it is only required that a label includes "(i) the generic name of each textile fibre...", meaning that a label as simple as "fur fibres" would be sufficient.
The first thing you can do to help is avoid buying any fur and any "faux" fur that is not labeled. You can also email the Prime Minster at pm@pm.gc.ca (www.pm.gc.ca).

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