Dog and Cat Fur Action Guide

Here are some things you can do to help put an end to the global trade in dog and cat fur. 

1. Avoid all fur products. Without extensive testing, it is impossible to be sure whether a fur product is made from dog or cat fur. Furthermore, the trade in fur—whether it be cat, dog, or any animal—is cruel.

2. Tell everyone you know about the trade in dog and cat fur. Once people understand that these garments, trims, and figurines are the product of the brutal slaughtering of dogs and cats, they won't want to buy them. If the market disappears, manufacturers will stop making the products. Distribute Betrayal of Trust brochures—contact us for copies.

3. Raise awareness at department stores and gift shops. Store managers may not know that some of their merchandise may be made of dog or cat fur. Tell store managers about the global trade in dog and cat fur and about the ban on dog and cat fur products in the United States. Ask them to discontinue the sale of all fur items in their stores. Provide the store with some background on the issue: The HSUS's Betrayal of Trust brochure and a copy of the Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000.

4. Bring attention to the sale of these products in your community. Write letters to the editor of the local paper. Contact your local television news stations and ask them to do an investigative report.

5. Contact the embassies of countries where dogs and cats are slaughtered for their fur and skin. Urge them to bring an end to this atrocity. Click here for contact information.

6. Return any item that you suspect contains dog or cat fur to the store. Explain to store managers why you are returning the item, provide them with information on the trade in cat and dog fur, and ask them to stop selling products that contain fur. You can also report suspect items to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection at 1-800-BE-ALERT (232-5378).

7. Ask your representative to support and co-sponsor H.R. 4904, the Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2006, so you can keep dog, cat, and other fur out the closets of unsuspecting consumers. The Truth in Fur Labeling Act of 2006, introduced by U.S. Representatives Mike Ferguson (R-N.J.) and Jim Moran (D-Va.), will amend the original Fur Products Labeling Act to eliminate the loophole that allows items featuring fur that are valued at less than $150 to be sold without identifying them as animal fur or specifying the species of animal or country of origin.

To read The HSUS's brochure, Betrayal of Trust, download the PDF.

To read the Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000, passed after Congress learned of The HSUS's investigation into the dog and cat fur trade, download the PDF.

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Updated July 11, 2006

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