Tests Show Major Retailers Are Selling Mislabeled Fur Coats

	See footage of a raccoon dog killed for fur.

After announcing the results of an investigation last week that several major American retailers were falsely advertising real fur as “faux,” The Humane Society of the United States announced a new key finding: Some of the real fur sold at Burlington Coat Factory and J.C. Penney and labeled as “raccoon,” “racoon” [sic], and “coyote” from China is actually fur from raccoon dogs, revealing a second major problem with the fur sales of these companies and their suppliers.

With this finding, the stores are in violation of the Fur Products Labeling Act, and The HSUS has called on retailers to pull all of their coats with raccoon or coyote fur. The HSUS is awaiting test results for a Sean John coat from Macy’s that was advertised as “faux” but was in fact real fur.

“Last week, we released information revealing that major U.S. retailers were advertising real fur as faux in Internet, circular, and store advertising,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The Humane Society of the United States.

“If the consumers had looked past the advertising and examined labels inside the coats, they would have seen that the coats were made from real fur from raccoons and coyotes. Today, we have uncovered another major problem: The real fur was mislabeled and the fur comes from a canine species known as ‘raccoon dog.’ All major retailers should pull any raccoon or coyote fur from China until all parties understand the scope of the improper and illegal labeling.”

An HSUS investigation in China in 1998 revealed that fur sellers in China will attach almost any label their customers want on their coats. That investigation and subsequent ones revealed the inhumane and barbaric killing of domesticated dogs and raccoon dogs.

Today’s mass spectrometry results found that Baby Phat jackets labeled as “racoon” [sic] and “coyote” and sold at Burlington Coat Factory, a Calvin Klein jacket labeled as “raccoon” and sold at Burlington Coat Factory, and an A.N.A. jacket labeled as “raccoon” and sold at J.C. Penney, all tested positive as raccoon dog fur.

The HSUS discovered last October through mass spectrometry testing that an Andrew Marc coat from Saks Fifth Avenue and a Michael Kors coat from Macy’s, labeled as “raccoon,” and a MaxMara coat from Bloomingdale’s, labeled as “Finni raccon” [sic], were actually raccoon dog. In total, of the ten jackets tested by The HSUS, eight were found to be raccoon dog fur but incorrectly labeled, and one test is still pending.

A Calvin Klein spokesman stated they were not aware that any of their fur garments were raccoon dog, but they had already made the determination some months back to eliminate fur in the future, investigating the timeline now but committed to being out of fur no later than Spring 2008. The HSUS is reaching out to other designers to alert them to the test results.

Due to the lack of animal welfare laws and prevalence of garment factories, China currently ranks as the leading exporter of fur and supplies half of all of the fur products that enter the United States for sale. Animals documented as raised and killed in China—in barbaric ways—include dogs, cats, foxes, mink, and, of particular note, raccoon dogs, a species of canine whose fur resembles raccoon.

The Fur Products Labeling Act prohibits the advertising or sale of any fur product that is falsely or misleadingly labeled, and authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to seek criminal penalties, impose fines of up to $5,000 per violation and to seize mislabeled products.

The HSUS is also calling on Congress to amend the Dog and Cat Protection Act—which bans the sale of dog or cat fur in the United States—to include raccoon dog, since the animals are so inhumanely killed and the species is similar to domesticated dogs. Raccoon dogs are indigenous to Asia, including eastern Siberia and Japan, and are sometimes called Asiatic raccoons, Finn raccoons, or tanuki. “It would be jarring to the public to shop in a marketplace where dog and cat fur is banned, but coats labeled as ‘raccoon dog’ are still legally sold,” added Pacelle.

Each year, more than 50 million animals worldwide, such as dogs, cats, raccoon dogs, mink, foxes, bobcats, beavers, raccoons and lynx, are killed for their fur. By supporting fur-free designers, sponsoring fashion design contests and advertising in industry publications, The HSUS Fur Free Campaign works with both consumers and the fashion industry to encourage decisions that reject the use of fur and instead promote warm and fashionable alternatives. To learn about The HSUS’s Fur Free Campaign and what you can do to take action, visit our website.

See the Video

False Labels on Fur Trim

Related Links

Shoppers Beware: Macy's Is Third Chain Found Advertising Real Fur as "Faux"

Burlington Pulls Offending Fur Ads

Shoppers Beware: "Faux Fur" Is Actually Real