If you are vegan or just generally involved in animal rights issues, you may already know that a great deal of labeled faux fur is actually dog fur–domestic or raccoon dog. However, there are many people out there that are completely unaware that they may in fact be purchasing REAL fur. I personally do not like the appearance of faux fur because it reminds me too much of REAL fur and the atrocities that come along with it. I pretty much ban anything that is faux animal material…..I just can’t help but feel it in some way supports the actual industry behind the torture of real animals. Put it this way: people see you in your faux fur coat and faux snake bag–do they necessarily know its faux? No, therefore you are both supporting the use of the REAL thing and making it seem all fine and dandy by doing so. Also, you never know–a PETA campaigner may come up and spray paint you accidentally!! (I in no way am denouncing the spray painting, more power to PETA!)
Back to the subject at hand: faux fur that is dog fur. In 2007 the Humane Society purchased 25 coats that were said to be coats containing faux fur (mostly around the collars of the coats). They tested each of the coats and 24 of 25 coats were in fact REAL fur, mostly from the raccoon dog native to Asia. The companies claimed that the “asiatic raccoon” aka the raccoon dog, is legal to import into the USA. However, what does legal have to do with it? These coats were labeled FAUX FUR!! People who purposely buy faux fur products do not wish to have an animal tortured for their fashion statements, whether it be LEGAL or not!!! The majority of coats tested turn out to be from the raccoon dog but there was also fur from coyotes and domestic dogs.
Look how freakin adorable the raccoon dogs are! How could you let them suffer?
The majority of real fur and fake fur garments coming into the USA is from China. China does not have animal laws in place to protect domestic dogs and cats, and they especially do not have laws in place to protect raccoon dogs, coyotes, raccoons etc etc. Therefore, these poor creatures are more often than not, kept in small crowded cages with sick and deceased animals. This is how they spend the rest of their lives before they are taken off to be skinned alive. These are atrocities that we should not allow to happen!! There is absolutely no reason animals should be tortured and skinned alive for FASHION!!! Nonetheless FAUX FASHION! Its absurd!!
I hope that some of you reading this did not know about this and are now as outraged as I am. Whether you knew about these atrocities already or not, PLEASE let others know too!! I remember having a conversation with my boyfriend’s niece, she had just received a faux fur collared jacket for Christmas. She is an animal lover and I felt the need to advise her that her coat may in fact be REAL dog fur. She was horrified. Part of me felt bad for ruining one of her favorite gifts from Christmas but I felt the knowledge I left her with was much more important. I hope that the knowledge leaves her second guessing the next time she is looking at faux-anything! Know what you are buying and if you are not sure, don’t buy it or do some major research! Is having a “faux” collar important enough for an animal to be skinned alive for? Nothing is important enough for that!
For more information on mislabeled faux fur and the fur trade in general, visit these sites:
http://www.furisdead.com/feat-dogcatfur.asp
http://www.peta.org/feat/ChineseFurFarms/index.asp
Sara said,
July 24, 2008 at 9:09 am
I’m with you! I don’t get the appeal of fur – real or faux! And I know some people – vegan or otherwise, that will remain ignorant to certain things containing animal products simply so they can still enjoy them. I remember when I first went vegan, I was afraid to ask if my favorite Indian place used milk in their naan (which was prompted by another Indian menu I was perusing which specifically listed vegan naan vs regular naan – not that all naan is non-vegan I’ve come to learn). I didn’t want to give up something I loved so much (that wasn’t blatantly obvious like cheese), but I couldn’t also live with the fact that my CHOSEN ignorance could possibly be contributing to a cause I was so adamantly against. I asked, and sure enough they use milk, but now (at my particular place) the owner makes me tandoori roti (a wheat version of naan-like bread). I love the roti, and it makes naan (when I come across some that is vegan) that much more great – and has driven me to start making my own at home!
It’s good that you told your boyfriend’s niece about the possibility – it gets her to think about things – whether she’s veggie or not. It’s one thing not to know, and then once you know you stop, but it’s a completely different thing if you know of the possibility and then do nothing about it and chose to remain ignorant. Ignorance maybe bliss for he who remains so, but certainly not bliss for whom his ignorance affects.
vicky said,
October 16, 2008 at 7:40 am
I understand ’bout real fur. but what about the fur on stuffed-animals??? is that real fur or fake?? I must know. I have a lot of stuffed-animals(you know, they’re cute) but i don’t want anymore if they have REAL fur.
madpam said,
October 26, 2008 at 12:17 pm
Hallo!
I have a petition up on the Downing street site about this….can we link up??
My blog is at
http://boristhewondercat.wordpress.com/wp-admin/
and the Downing Street petition is at
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/chinacruelty/
Cheers
Pam
This site has some interesting things on it. « Boristhewondercats messages to the world said,
October 26, 2008 at 12:29 pm
[...] This site has some interesting things on it. Filed under: Uncategorized — madpam @ 6:28 pm Tags: china cruelty fur http://veganverve.wordpress.com/2008/07/23/faux-fur-potentially-dog-fur/#comment-280 [...]