Although the dog and cat fur trade has significantly dwindled in the past decade, the cruel treatment of these animals is still occurring in many places.  Dogs and cats are being killed for their skins for use in coats, blankets, stuffed animals, toys, and accessories.  Oftentimes, dog and cat fur used in clothing is intentionally mislabeled, not labeled, or dyed to appear “faux.”  Manufacturers feel this deception is necessary because of the low cost of dog and cat fur, and the consumers’ reluctance to wear it.

In the 1990s, public outcry against this practice convinced several countries to ban dog and cat fur importation, as seen in the U.S. Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act. This forced companies to move their dog and cat fur production to the Far East where wages are lower and there are fewer regulations.  Unfortunately, China has no animal cruelty laws in place, and more than 2 million dogs and cats are slaughtered each year for their skin with no regard to their suffering. 

In most countries, dogs and cats are treated as companion animals, but in places where they are farmed for their fur, they are treated as unsympathetically as livestock. To prevent damage to the fur, dogs are tied on short cables, stabbed in the groin area, and left to bleed to death.  Cats are hung by their necks until they suffocate.  If these animals are fortunate, they die before they are skinned, although the unlucky ones are skinned alive.  Many of these animals are strays or lost pets, as proven by the collars noted on slaughter-bound animals during industry investigations.

Because of these horrendous practices, several countries have now banned import, export, sale, and production of dog and cat fur, including the United States, Australia, and all states within the European Union (the EU ban will take affect January 1, 2009).  China is still the largest exporter of dog and cat fur in the world. Hopefully this ban, in tandem with the 2008 Olympic Games, will bring enough attention to China to motivate leaders to enact animal welfare laws within their borders.

Click here for a list of designers and retailers that don’t use real fur: www.hsus.org/furfree/fashion/retailers/furfree_retailers_designers.html.