Domestic Pets Slaughtered for Fur

This document is a press release from The Humane Society of the United States dated December 15, 1998.

For Immediate Release

CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION: Brett West 301/548-7778

HSUS UNCOVERS INTERNATIONAL FUR TRADE SLAUGHTERING DOGS AND CATS FOR AMERICAN CLOTHING

December 15, 1998

WASHINGTON - More than two million dogs and cats are killed each year for use in the international fur trade, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) said today. Evidence of the massive, systematic cruelty was gathered during an 18-month investigation conducted by a nine-person team.

Led by HSUS Vice President of Investigative Services Rick Swain and German journalist Manfred Karremann, the investigative team found that dogs and cats are cruelly slaughtered for the manufacture of fur clothing and accessories worldwide. Dog and cat fur is sold in the United States as hats, gloves, decorative accessories, and even toy stuffed animals. The HSUS investigation focused on practices in China, Thailand and the Philippines.

"We witnessed live dogs being kept in an unheated room in the bitter cold surrounded by the bodies of dead dogs hanging from hooks at one dog farm in Harbin [China]," Swain reported. "Some of the live dogs were destined to be sold in Harbin, their fur sold to the fur trade. Someone may be wearing their fur right now."

The investigation's findings include:

The death toll is conservatively estimated to be in the range of two million dogs and cats killed annually for their fur. Usually, 10 to 12 dogs and 24 cats are killed to manufacture one coat -- more if puppies or kittens are used. The fur industry deliberately misleads consumers about product composition. A dog product may be sold as Gae-wolf, Sobaki, and Asian jackal among many others. Cat products are often sold as Wildcat, Goyangi and Katzenfelle to name only a few. Inhumane means are employed to kill animals for their fur. Investigators witnessed animals dying by slow suffocation, hanging, bludgeoning and clubbing, or bleeding to death. All of these methods involve severe panic, trauma, and needless prolonged suffering.

Dog and cat fur is aggressively marketed and sold in both the United States and Europe. Dogs and cats may be killed in one country, processed in another, and finished products sold anywhere in the world. U.S. laws are ineffective in regulating the dog and cat fur industry and in many cases do not apply because no labeling laws regulate products costing under $150. These products include gloves, fur linings, and insoles for shoes and boots among others.

"The senseless killing of people's loyal and most trusted companions for the international fur trade has got to stop," said Patricia A. Forkan, HSUS executive vice president. "Before The HSUS initiated this investigation, we had no idea of the scope of the killing of dogs and cats."

"American consumers are being tricked into purchasing garments made with dog and cat pelts because of misleading labeling practices. Last month, our investigators purchased a men's fur-trimmed coat labeled "Mongolia dog fur" from a New Jersey outlet of Burlington Coat Factory. A DNA test of the fur trim on the garment tested positive for domestic dog," Forkan continued. "This killing of dogs and cats and other animals for fur is senseless given the availability of stylish and warm non-fur coats. The HSUS is working with some of the world's top designers, including Oleg Cassini, in demonstrating to the public that superior alternatives exist."

Unless DNA-tested, dog and cat fur is often indistinguishable from other animals used by the fur industry. The Bureau of the Census, U.S. Department of Commerce, keeps general statistics on fur and leather imports and exports. But species-specific data is recorded only for certain animals, such as mink, fox, lamb, rabbit, raccoon, and some others. A wide range of pelts and fur-skin products from all other animals are grouped together in one category designated as NESOI (Not Elsewhere Specified or Otherwise Indicated). This category includes pelts from any species of animal not specifically defined by the Bureau, including dogs and cats.

The HSUS is the nation's largest animal protection organization with more than six million members and constituents, and is headquartered in Washington, D.C.

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