On January 1, 2009, the European Union—one of the world's largest cosumers of fur—enacted a ban on cat and dog fur, following a years-long campaign by Humane Society International (HSI), The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and other animal welfare organizations. The ban, the result of a unanimous vote [PDF] by the European Parliment in 2007, makes it illegal to import, export, trade and sell dog and cat fur in all 27 EU countries. The U.S [PDF] and Australia enacted cat and dog fur bans in 2000 and 2004, respectively.
All three bans were affected in no small way by an 18-month investigation into China's fur industry conducted by The HSUS/HSI in the late 1990s. Evidence was obtained that the fur of dogs and cats were being used to make garments that were exported to foreign markets. Investigators captured unsettling images that included a German shepherd dog being skinned alive in public view and cats being slowly strangled to death in front of their terrified cagemates.
The business of Chinese fur manufacturers has suffered because of the cat and dog fur bans, however, millions of animals continue to be killed every year for their fur. As long as this is still true, The HSUS and HSI will work to combat this cruel trade.
- European Union Announces Strict Ban on Dog and Cat Fur Imports and Exports: June 27, 2007
- European Union Issues Proposal to Ban Cat and Dog Fur: November 20, 2006
- Dear Prime Minister... Celebrities Appeal to Tony Blair to Ban Cat and Dog Fur in EU: December 8, 2005
- HSI Investigation Reveals a New Source for Cat and Dog Fur in Europe: Europe Itself: December 8, 2005
- Despite Initial Resistance, the EU Searches for a Way to Ban Dog and Cat Fur: July 22, 2005
- Will Australia's New Ban on Dog and Cat Fur Push the EU to Action?: June 7, 2004
- Belgium Joins the Ranks of EU Countries to Ban Dog and Cat Fur: January 19, 2004
- Parliament Pushes European Commission to Address Dog and Cat Fur Trade: December 22, 2003
- Tests Reveal Toxic Levels of Chromium in European Toys. Will the EU Respond?: December 10, 2003
- European Union Considers Comprehensive Ban on the Cat and Dog Fur Trade: November 13, 2003
- Government to Decide on Cat and Dog Fur Imports to Australia: July 31, 2003
European Union Announces Strict Ban on Dog and Cat Fur Imports and Exports
June 27, 2007
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| © HSI |
More than two million dogs and cat are killed each year
in China for their fur. |
By Carly Ikuma
On June 19, the European Parliament voted unanimously [PDF] to ban dog and cat fur from being imported or exported into European Union countries. The ban, spurred by international outrage over images of dogs and cats being callously killed for their fur, will take effect Jan. 1, 2009.
The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Humane Society International (HSI) sent a team to investigate and document claims of extreme cruelty in China's fur industry in the late 1990s. For 18 months, investigators captured unsettling images that included a German Shepherd being skinned alive in public view and cats being slowly strangled to death in front of their terrified cagemates.
The extent of the enormous dog and cat fur trade in Europe—an industry that results in the gruesome deaths of more than two million cats and dogs per year in China alone—was demonstrated by the number of fur products openly sold in several countries across the continent. Some of the products were falsely advertised, likely because consumers would refuse to purchase the skins and furs of companion animals.
Italy, Denmark, Belgium, France and Greece individually banned dog and cat fur a few years ago, sparking a wave of public pressure for an EU-wide prohibition. In December 2005, EU Commissioner Markos Kyprianou pledged to ban dog and cat fur. A massive letter-writing campaign and petition drive followed, placing pressure on the EU to act quickly. The European Union currently has 27 members and several more in consideration for membership.
Wayne Pacelle, CEO of The HSUS, praised the European Parliament's unanimous vote for the ban. Pacelle paid tribute to UK conservative MEP Struan Stevenson "for an unwavering commitment to take the lead in this effort from the very start." He also acknowledged other public figures who helped in the campaign including Heather Mills McCartney, music legends Sir Paul McCartney and Rick Wakeman. And Pacelle applauded Dennis Erdman, a Hollywood director ("Sex in the City") who rallied stars to write the Commission urging immediate action.
In f, a country which has no animal welfare laws, dogs, cats and other animals are openly and legally slaughtered in cruel ways, all to support an industry based on vanity and greed. By closing this market, Chinese fur manufacturers have said that their businesses will certainly suffer. The United States and the European Union are the largest consumers of fur produced in China, and China is the largest exporter of fur in the world.
Dog and cat fur was swiftly banned in the United States in 2000 as a result of the undercover HSUS/HSI investigations, and Australia followed with its own ban shortly after.
It is hoped that this ban, coupled with more intense scrutiny of China ahead of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, will push the Chinese authorities to initiate strong animal welfare laws and tough enforcement.
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European Union Issues Proposal to Ban Cat and Dog Fur
November 20, 2006
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| Puppies raised for their fur. © HSI |
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The European Union released key elements of a proposed directive Nov. 20 that would ban the import, export, sale and production of cat and dog fur in Europe.
The proposal, announced by the commissioner for Consumer Affairs, Markos Kyprianou, has the potential to save millions of animals from an inhumane life and cruel death due to the fraudulent fur trade. A directive binds member states within a specific timeframe, but it does not indicate how each member must implement the decision. It leaves it up to each country to translate the directive's goals into law.
The Dog and Cat Fur Trade in Europe
More than three years ago, a majority of the European Parliament's members signed a written declaration calling for a ban on this type of fur. Only under Kyprianou's administration has the commission acted in response to the declaration and to the public's demands to ban the cruel trade within its member countries.
Humane Society International (HSI) undercover investigators provided the commission with a staggering display of coats, rugs, toys and other items collected in the European Union and shown to be made from the domestic cats and dogs, coming mainly from Asia. Some of the items tested also contained high levels of chromium (from the tanning process), a metal potentially toxic to children. HSI also revealed that during undercover work, both Belgian and Czech dealers claimed that some of the fur came from local strays.
It is estimated that more than 2 million cats and dogs are raised in Asia solely for their furs and skins. While the United States banned this type of fur several years ago, the result of an HSUS campaign, its sale is still flourishing in Europe and Russia.
Directive Would Put Pressure on China to End Fur Trade
At the urging of European Parliament member Struan Stevenson, who has led the campaign with HSI Europe for more than seven years, the Chinese government finally recognized the existence of the cat and dog fur industry and said it would bring the cruelty to an end.´But without an EU committed to a ban, China previously had no impetus to act. With this new legislative proposal on the table at the EU Parliament, pressure will intensify on China to make good on its promise to end the trade once and for all.
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Dear Prime Minister... Celebrities Appeal to Tony Blair to Ban Cat and Dog Fur in EU
December 8, 2005
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| Heather Mills McCartney at a dog and cat fur press conference. © HSI |
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More than 40 celebrities have joined long-time anti-fur campaigner Heather Mills McCartney and Member of European Parliament Struan Stevenson in appealing to British Prime Minister Tony Blair to push the European Union for an EU-wide ban on cat and dog fur.
In announcing the stars' involvement in the campaign, Stevenson said, "We have been campaigning tirelessly with Humane Society International (HSI) to bring about a Europe-wide ban on the trade in cat and dog fur. With the presidency of the EU currently lying with the UK, Tony Blair has a unique opportunity to use his influence and effect a Europe-wide ban. Along with these celebrities, I too hope that our prime minister is appalled at this trade and does his utmost to bring an end to this vile trade."
"We live in a country that loves cats and dogs," added McCartney, wife of former Beatle, Sir Paul McCartney. "To stand by knowing that this sick trade is going on under our noses is very distressing. That's why we all must do everything we can to ban cat and dog fur. We have to be happy in our own skin, rather than wearing someone else's."
Celebrities who have sent letters to Tony Blair include:
- Brian Adams
- Jeff Beck
- Tony Bennett
- Sir Peter and Lady Blake
- Steve Buscemi and Jo Andres
- Brian Clarke
- Phil Collins
- Geoff Emerick
- Robin Gibb
- Dave Gilmour
- Eddy and Anne Grant
- Jools Holland
- Chrissie Hynde
- Elton John
- Carla Lane
- Twiggy and Leigh Lawson
- Lulu
- Joanna Lumley and Stephen Barlow
- George and Judy Martin
- Robbie and Flo McIntosh
- George Michael
- Steve Miller
- Adrian and Celia Mitchell
- Eddie Murphy
- Paul Newman
- Stella Parsons and friends
- Elizabeth Quinn
- Nitin Sawhney
- Victor Spinetti
- Sarah Starkey and friends
- Tracey Ullman
- Margo Wickens
- Brian and Melinda Wilson
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HSI Investigation Reveals a New Source for Cat and Dog Fur in Europe: Europe Itself
December 8, 2005
The long battle to keep cat and dog fur out of Europe has been primarily focused on trying to ban the imports of pelts from China—until now. New evidence recently uncovered by a Humane Society International (HSI) investigation indicates that dog and cat fur may also be coming from a source much closer to home—the Czech Republic.
The undercover video obtained during the recent investigation shows a factory worker in a Czech warehouse telling investigators that most of the cat and dog skins hanging from nearby rails were obtained domestically. A few, he says on tape, were imported from China, where HSI estimates that at least 5,400 cats and dogs die horribly every day for fur. The worker even shows investigators one of the products made with cat fur: a so-called back belt, also known as a "kidney belt," which is promoted and sold as a treatment for backaches and rheumatism, despite no medical evidence to back such claims.
The video was released during an HSI press conference at the European Parliament in Brussels on Thursday, December 8. Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) Struan Stevenson, Phillip Whitehead, and Paulo Casaca—as well as activist Heather Mills McCartney and HSI Investigator Richard Swain—participated in the press conference as part of their work to focus international attention on the brutal trade, and to secure a ban across the European Union (EU).
"How much more must be shown to put this ban in place?" questioned McCartney at the press conference. The wife of Sir Paul McCartney called the cat and dog fur business "the sickest trade."
Supporters of an EU-wide ban hope that at least 300 million Europeans will agree with McCartney. That's the number of people who call cats and dogs their pets. Supporters believe the discovery of dog and cat fur production in Europe's backyard may bring public pressure to bear on the EU to institute a long sought-after ban on the import and sale of dog and cat fur.
EU's Slow Reaction to Dog and Cat Fur
Cat and dog fur items in the EU are nothing new HSI first revealed Europe's role in the inhumane treatment and cruel deaths of dogs and cats in China during our 1998 investigation “Betrayal of Trust,” which led to the United States banning dog and cat fur [PDF] two years later. As part of the original inquiry, investigators followed pelts across the world to France and Germany, where the fur continues to be made into coats, clothing trim, glove linings, and children’s toys to this day. The fur was also found in Spain, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Italy, and the Netherlands.
Since then, members of the European Parliament, led by a passionate Stevenson, have been lobbying for the EU to ban the import, export, sale, and production of dog and cat fur in the European Union.
"With each passing day we find increasing evidence that the sale of cat and dog fur is widespread throughout Europe,” said Stevenson. “This latest evidence underscores how deeply entrenched this cruelty is, encompassing even the slaughter of EU animals. Until we ban this fur, the European Union is part of the problem."
After years of former EU officials stonewalling the issue, Markus Kyprianou, the EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner, announced this summer that he will seek a ban. Despite that promise, no action has yet been taken.
“We have at the doorsteps of the European Union proof positive that this business is not just an Asian issue anymore, but one that is embraced by some EU nationals as well,” said The HSUS's Swain. “Without a total ban on all activity on the cat and dog fur front, we can’t protect consumers from unwittingly supporting this inhumane trade, let alone ensure the safety of cats and dogs living here.”
The lack of a ban has left consumers in many European countries oblivious to the fact that they may be purchasing items made with the skin and fur of domestic dogs and cats. Even the most well-intentioned consumer may mistakenly buy items with dog or cat fur because manufacturers go to great lengths to camouflage their wares. Products with dog and cat fur, usually lower-end items, can still find their way into the hands of consumers. Coats, gloves, toys, and other items are rarely labeled, and when they are, the labels are often deceiving.
If it implements a ban, the EU would join the United States and Australia, which already ban the import and sale of dog and cat fur skins. Some European countries aren't waiting around for such a ban. EU members Belgium, Italy, France, Greece, and Denmark have already adopted dog and cat fur prohibitions. Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU, was the latest European country to institute a ban.
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Despite Initial Resistance, the EU Searches for a Way to Ban Dog and Cat Fur
July 22, 2005
By Sarah Mesa
After years of claiming its hands were tied to institute a ban on dog and cat fur, the European Union is now seriously considering such a prohibition.
In June, EU Health and Consumer Protection Commissioner Markus Kyprianou told the Animal Welfare Intergroup, "I plan to deal with this problem because there is political will to do so. There are legal problems (to such a ban), but I've asked my team to find solutions."
If it implements a ban, the EU would join the United States [PDF], Australia, and some forward-thinking members of the EU that have already banned the import and sale of dog and cat fur skins, which mostly come from Asian producers. HSUS and HSI investigators have extensively documented the Asian dog and cat fur trade, showing that more than two million companion animals are killed annually for foreign markets, including those in Europe and Russia.
Kyprianou’s June announcement signaled a change of attitude for the EU on a dog and cat fur ban, which has been stalled for years because Consumer Affairs Commissioner David Byrne had claimed the European Union had no legal authority to act on this matter. In 2004, at the request of HSI’s European office, internationally recognized British barrister Philippe Sands and fellow EU legal specialist Kate Cook issued a legal opinion that refuted Byrne's position. Sands and Cook noted that two articles under the European Community's treaty would justify a ban in the production and sale of dog and cat fur across the EU.
Kyprianou and his staff would now appear to be sorting out all the legal issues allegedly blocking implementation of an EU-wide ban on dog and cat fur. This course of action is encouraging to some members of the European Parliament, including Phillip Whitehead, chairman of Parliament's Internal Market and Consumer Protection Committee, and British MEP Struan Stevenson.
"I told Commissioner Kyprianou that he will be the most popular politician in Europe if he introduces a ban on this horrific trade," Stevenson noted after the announcement. "There are more than 300 million pet owners in the EU who will applaud his initiative. Since the U.S. (and) Australia...banned the import and trade in cat and dog fur, Europe has become a dumping ground."
Stevenson has been the unquestionable leader in the European Union on introducing a dog and cat fur ban. He has worked closely with HSI over the past six years to gather support for the issue. Stevenson and other MEPs have recognized the importance of Europeans to protect cats and dogs from dying for fur products such as full-length coats, linings in boots and gloves, cat figurines, and hair bows, among other things. In December 2003, the European Parliament, with a strong majority, adopted a Written Declaration pressuring the European Commission to ban the import, export, sale and production of cat and dog fur in Europe.
"It is the duty of all cat and dog lovers to do everything possible to support Commissioner Kyprianou in his courageous quest to introduce an EU-wide ban," Stevenson said.
Some European countries aren't waiting around for such a ban. EU members Belgium, Italy, France, Greece, and Denmark have already adopted dog and cat fur prohibitions. Switzerland, which is not a member of the EU, was the latest European country to institute a ban.
Even celebrities have joined the fight. In March, Heather Mills McCartney, activist, businesswoman, and wife of former Beatle Sir Paul McCartney, as well as rock star Rick Wakeman, the longtime keyboardist with Yes, joined HSI for a press conference in Brussels to pressure the EU into action. Mills McCartney has also posted a petition on her web site, which more than 73,000 people have signed to date.
Where It All Started
A 1998 undercover investigation by HSI and HSUS first revealed the deplorable conditions on Chinese fur farms, which slaughter an estimated two million dogs and cats annually. Investigators followed the skins of these animals to France, Germany, and other locations worldwide. DNA tests showed that garment trim, trinkets, and even children’s toys were made from dog and cat fur. The investigation led to bans of dog and cat fur in nations across the globe. The U.S. Congress passed the Dog and Cat Protection Act in 2000.
With bans in place in the United States and Australia, the dog and cat fur trade in China now relies on the exportation of pelts to European countries. A European ban on this trade would be a serious blow to the Chinese fur merchants and middlemen.
The failure to date to implement such a ban has left consumers in many European countries oblivious to the fact that they may be purchasing items made with the skin and fur of domestic dogs and cats. Even the most well-intentioned consumer may mistakenly buy items with dog or cat fur because manufacturers go to great lengths to camouflage their wares. Products with dog and cat fur, usually used in lower-end items, can still find their way into the hands of consumers. Coats, gloves, toys, and other items are rarely labeled, and when they are, the labels are often deceiving.
According to HSUS investigators, fur manufacturers in China said they would sew any label onto dog and cat fur products to make the items more marketable. DNA test have revealed fur products sold as gae-wolf, goupee, Asian wolf, China wolf, Mongolia dog, Sobaki, Pommern wolf, dogue de Chine, and loup d’Asie are actually made from the fur of domestic dogs. Cat fur has sold under pseudonyms like rabbit, maopee, goyangi, katzenfelle, natuerliches mittel, chat de Chine, and gatto cinesi. In addition to using bogus labels, Asian dealers have been known to dye animal fur so it resembles faux fur.
Sarah Mesa is the former web content manager for HSI.
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Will Australia's New Ban on Dog and Cat Fur Push the EU to Action?
June 7, 2004
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| Dog fur pelts. © HSI |
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The Australian government, responding both to public pressure and a Humane Society International (HSI) investigation, announced on May 21 that it would immediately ban dog and cat fur and skins.
Australia's decisive reaction to the controversy stands in sharp contrast to the foot-dragging by a European Union commissioner who insists the EU has no authority to institute a ban—although a recent legal opinion to the contrary may force the issue again in Europe.
Australian Justice and Customs Minister Chris Ellison said the government's decision to ban the import and export of dog and cat fur and skins came after receiving more than 9,000 "representations" from a broad spectrum of citizens who supported the ban. Ellison called it "the largest volume of correspondence I have received on a single issue in almost four years as minister."
What's more, the ban comes less than a year after Humane Society International (HSI) Australia announced that two items for sale down under contained toxic levels of chromium, a chemical routinely used in the tanning process of dog and cat fur on Asian farms, where an estimated two million animals are killed every year for the trade. Chromium can damage DNA, particularly in children, as well as cause genetic mutation and cancer.
HSI Australia also launched a massive signature campaign in which 70,000 citizens signed a petition calling on the prime minister to institute a ban. HSI Australia says it was one of the largest petitions ever presented to the Australian parliament.
"HSI congratulates the Coalition Government for taking a clear stand against the trade," says HSI Australia spokesperson Nicola Beynon. "Australian consumers certainly don't want to buy cat and dog fur, and Australian retailers don't want to be at risk of selling it."
The Australian ban will allow, with written permission, limited cat and dog fur imports for the taxidermy of pets, for fur historical displays, and for research purposes, among other things. The ban clearly targets Asian producers who use cat and dog fur in items ranging from full-length coats to pompons on sweaters. What's more, these items are often fraudulently labeled, not labeled at all or dyed to look like faux fur.
With the Australian pipeline now shut down, Asian producers will have to turn to other markets. They likely will increase their imports into Europe, one of the remaining areas that permits these items.
"Australia's decision to ban dog and cat fur practically requires the European Union to follow suit," says HSI Executive Director Neil Trent. "Otherwise, Asian traders will merely step up their imports to those countries in Europe that still allow dog and cat fur products. To end this brutal trade once and for all, the EU must step up and do the right thing."
Five EU countries, in some form or another, have already banned the import of dog and cat fur. They include Belgium, Italy, France, Greece, and Denmark. But the EU as a whole still has not banned these products. To date, EU Commissioner for Consumer Affairs, David Byrne, has adamantly argued the EU has no authority to ban dog and cat fur in Europe.
Byrne may have to change his tune soon, however. At the request of HSI's European office, internationally recognized lawyer Philippe Sands and fellow EU legal specialist Kate Cook, both with the London-based law firm Matrix Chambers, reviewed European law to challenge Byrne's position.
Sands and Cook found that Article 95 of the European Community's treaty would justify a ban in the production and sale of dog and cat fur on the basis that "… such a measure is necessary to remove an obstacle to the functioning of the internal market," Sands noted. The EU also has authority under Article 133 (ex. 113) to ban exports, he added. The lawyers also provided case law that indicates the European Union does not need to wait until a certain number of EU countries ban dog and cat fur before the European Commission takes action.
On Wednesday, May 26, only days after Sands' and Cook's legal opinion, British Member of Parliament Struan Stevenson praised Australia's decision and chastised Byrne for his obstructionist ways.
"Despite following due parliamentary process and securing the support of the majority of the European Parliament, the Brussels bureaucrats still flaunt the rules by refusing to bring into force legislation outlawing this barbaric practice," said Stevenson at the Edinburgh Dog & Cat Home, an animal welfare group where he displayed a German-bought coat made from 42 pup skins. "Australia has followed America's bold lead in stamping out this unwanted and unnecessary trade."
"It pains me to think of the millions of domestic animals who are reared, rounded up and then mercilessly and brutally butchered purely for their skins," added Stevenson, who has worked closely with HSI on this issue for several years. "The only way to stop this vile trade is to take away the markets which support these so-called businesses. Other parts of the world are making a stance and banning the goods from their markets. I am urging the European Commission to do likewise and bring an immediate halt to the unnecessary suffering of the animals we refer to as pets."
"All of this clearly pushes Byrne more into a corner," HSI's Trent says. "Given Australia's ban and the recent legal opinion, Byrne would seem to have no choice but to start the process for an EU-wide ban on dog and cat fur. It can't come soon enough."
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Belgium Joins the Ranks of EU Countries to Ban Dog and Cat Fur
January 19, 2004
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| A canine victim of the dog and cat fur trade. © HSI |
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The Belgian government recently announced a temporary ban on the import of dog and cat fur and skins, joining four other European countries that have already called a halt to the inhumane trade within their borders. The ban comes on the heels of last year's Humane Society International (HSI) investigation that revealed cat-and-dog-fur items on sale in Belgium.
Belgium's January 16 announcement also included a prohibition on the sale of seal skins and oil as well as an order to begin labeling all fur so that authorities can know what is on sale in Belgian shops and what is entering the country. The government will now no longer grant a license to importers seeking to bring in cat/dog fur or seal skins.
Both the bans and the labeling order went into effect immediately; the prohibitions are temporary, but the Belgian legislature is expected to replace the stopgap measure with an even broader ban that would stop both the imports and exports of cat and dog fur and skins. The HSUS, working with Belgian NGOs, will push for the country to include the sale and production of cat and dog furs and skins in the permanent ban. Unless there is some delay, the permanent ban is expected to go into effect in October 2004.
Belgium is now the fifth country to ban the import of dog and cat fur, which mostly comes from Asia, where an estimated two million dogs and cats are killed annually for the trade. The other countries with a ban include Italy, France, Greece, and Denmark.
"Belgium's prompt and firm action on this issue brings it in line with the other countries that have no intention of allowing Asian merchants to traffic in animal cruelty and defraud our consumers," said Neil Trent, HSI executive director. "Moreover, it is clear that government officials want no part of toxic toys and the hazards that accompany them."
Trent is referring to a December laboratory report, issued by a Dutch animal-protection organization, that showed two items made with dog fur contained toxic levels of chromium. Both items were on sale in The Netherlands.
That bombshell came after last year's HSI undercover investigation in three Belgian towns, where investigators not only found dog and cat fur items on sale, but also caught on tape retailers saying that some of the fur allegedly came from cat farms in Belgium. What's more, those same retailers alleged that some of the fur may have come from strays or lost pets.
These reports set off a media frenzy around the globe—as far away as Malaysia and the Philippines. Belgian member of the European Parliament Nelly Maes—a co-sponsor of the Written Declaration that calls for the European Union (EU) to ban the import, export, sale and production of cat and dog fur in Europe—provided her government with an unedited version of the HSI undercover footage as well as the evidence on the toxic items in The Netherlands.
Maes urged Belgium, which shares a border with The Netherlands, to immediately take action in light of evidence of fraud, cruelty, and toxicity in consumer goods. Belgium's action stands in stark contrast with the European Commission's foot-dragging. The commission believes this is an issue for individual nations to tackle, not the EU.
"It's astounding that with such mounting pressure—from members of the Council of Agriculture Ministers, individual EU countries, the majority of the members of the European Parliament, and the public at large—all we are able to get from the European Commission on this issue are excuses and defensive statements," the HSI's Trent said.
Trent added: "This issue will not go away despite the commission's attempts to stall, in the hope that an incoming parliament and an expansion of the EU will dilute the anger, frustration and determination to get rid of this nasty, toxic and obnoxious business in Europe once and for all."
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Parliament Pushes European Commission to Address Dog and Cat Fur Trade
December 22, 2003
The European Parliament easily secured enough signatures to pressure the European Commission to address the cat and dog fur trade, but the legislative body of the Europe Union is resisting the call, claiming not to have the authority to pass a comprehensive ban on the cruel trade in Europe.
The members of the European Parliament (MEPs) needed to gather 314 signatures by December 22 for their Written Declaration to become the parliament's official position. They collected 346 signatures by Wednesday, December 17—the third highest total of signatures ever collected for a Written Declaration during the five-year period of the currently sitting European Parliament (and only the fifth declaration to collect enough signatures during the same period).
The declaration, sponsored by British MEP Struan Stevenson and co-sponsored by four other MEPs, officially gives European Parliament President Pat Cox the mandate to ask the European Commission to draft laws to deal with the dog and cat fur trade. But, according to Scotland's Sunday Herald, commission officials are maintaining their stance that they don't have authority to draft legislation, and that it is up to the individual nations to implement laws on the trade.
"The overwhelming adoption of the Written Declaration demonstrates that MEPs' intense concern over this cruel, fraudulent and toxic trade throughout Europe," noted Betsy Dribben, European director for Humane Society International (HSI), who has been working on this issue in the European Parliament for more than four years.
"It's time for the European Commission to acknowledge that it does indeed have competence over this issue and draft a comprehensive ban of the dog and cat fur trade in Europe," Dribben added.
Likewise, Stevenson told the Sunday Herald that the commission's position that the dog and cat fur issue should be resolved either by the World Trade Organization or the EU member states was "wrong and wrong-headed."
The EU's growing awareness of the dog and cat fur issue, as well as its increasing reaction to it, is due in no small part to HSI, which has been investigating the trade for years now. HSUS and HSI investigators have extensively documented the Asian dog and cat fur trade, showing that more than 2 million companion animals are killed annually for foreign markets, including those in Europe and Russia.
In fact, HSI's February 2003 investigation in Belgium, the home of the EU, may have been the tipping point in the whole affair, since it forced the government to confront the issue in its own backyard.
Bont voor Dieren, the Dutch animal-welfare group that's working with HSI, added fuel to the growing fire when it announced that two items made with dog fur contained toxic levels of chromium, according to tests conducted by Netherlands' largest laboratory. Chromium is routinely used in the tanning process of dog and cat fur to disguise the products.
"The MEPs are really responding to two growing forces," said HSI's Dribben. "First, they're responding to a massive public call for a ban on this trade and, second, to ministers of agriculture who have also been increasingly firm in Council of Ministers meetings, asking for the commission to address this issue.
"The trade encompasses many areas of concern: animal cruelty, consumer fraud, and public health," Dribben added. "If the European Commission ignores the issue, it does so at the EU's peril. It is boiling down to a matter of political will, and all eyes are now on the commission."
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Tests Reveal Toxic Levels of Chromium in European Toys. Will the EU Respond?
December 10, 2003
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| The U.S. and the E.U. are the largest consumers of fur produced in China, and China is the largest exporter of fur in the world. © HSI |
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A Dutch animal-protection organization announced on Monday, December 8, that laboratory tests showed two items made with dog fur contained toxic levels of chromium, a chemical routinely used in the tanning process of dog and cat fur.
The startling announcement could help secure the final signatures needed for the members of the European Parliament to press the European Commission into banning dog and cat fur across the Europe, where Humane Society International (HSI) has been investigating the trade for the past several years.
It was the second time in three months that retail items were found to contain toxic levels of chromium. HSI's Australian office announced in October that two items for sale in that country contained toxic levels of the chemical, which can damage DNA as well as cause genetic mutation and cancer. The Australian government is still deciding whether to ban dog and cat fur.
The more recent lab tests, announced by the Netherlands-based animal protection group Bont voor Dieren, showed that two items—"two cats in a basket" and a furry mouse toy, both made with dog fur—contained chromium levels well above the amount allowed under European Union (EU) law for children's toys. Under EU law, the maximum level of chromium allowed in children's toys is 60 milligrams per kilogram. (60 mg/kg).
Research showed that the cat figurine in a basket contained 290 mg/kg (the figurine by itself contained 190 mg/kg), while the toy mouse, designed for cats but also attractive to children, contained 350 mg/kg. Hazardous forms of chromium, including chromium chloride and chromium potassium sulfate, are used in the fur tanning process in China, where an estimated 2 million dogs and cats are killed annually for their fur.
British member of the European Parliament (MEP) Struan Stevenson, who has worked closely with HSI on the dog and cat fur issue, held a press conference on Tuesday in Brussels, home of the EU, to address the unfolding controversy.
"The European Commission [the legislative drafting body of the EU] contends the sale of cat and dog fur in Europe is not their problem, despite tens of thousands of citizens who want action, the majority of EU ministers of agriculture who have asked for a ban, and more than 270 MEPs who have signed the declaration, so far, calling for an EU-wide ban," Stevenson said.
"I have written Commissioner David Byrne [Commissioner of Health and Consumer Protection who has said only individual nations can legislate this issue, not the EU] to urge him to take action in this matter countless times because undoubtedly not only do these items result from great cruelty and involve significant consumer fraud, but now it is also clear they pose a considerable health risk, particularly to children."
The chromium tests and Stevenson's strong words came as the European Parliament tries to secure the remaining signatures for a Written Declaration that calls for a ban on the import, export, sale, and production of cat and dog fur in Europe. Parliament rules require that the Written Declaration have 314 signatures, or slightly more than half of the MEPs, no later than December 22, 2003, for it to become the official position of the European Parliament. To date, 274 MEPs have signed the declaration which, if adopted, would compel the European Commission to address the matter.
The Dark News Down Under
Earlier this year, HSI Australia found that a "cat in a basket" toy, made from real cat fur, had a chromium level of 2,950 mg/kg. The Australian safety standard for allowable chromium is 100 mg/kg. The toy was found to contain nearly 30 times that amount. A full length coat was also found to contain toxic levels of chromium.
At the time of the announcement, in October, Dr. Marriann Lloyd-Smith from Australia's National Toxics Network, Inc., had this to say about chromium:
"A number of these forms of chromium [chromium chloride and chromium potassium sulfate] can penetrate into cells, where they can cause DNA damage, gene mutation and chromosomal abnormality. Studies have shown a link between tanning chemicals and cancer in workers, and some forms of chromium have been identified by the World Health Organization as human and animal carcinogens."
While the chromium tests have not yet yielded tangible results in Australia, where the government has yet to adequately address the dog and cat fur issue, several European countries have already instituted bans, including Italy, Denmark, France and Greece.
To HSI Executive Director Neil Trent, the time is now for the European Commission to stop sitting on its hands over the trade in dog and cat fur.
"There is increasing compelling evidence that Europe is not just putting its consumers at risk by permitting this trade to continue, but also risking the health of European children as well," Trent said. "It's time Commissioner Byrne stopped offering excuses on why he won't act on this issue and move in a constructive manner to end this trade once and for all."
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European Union Considers Comprehensive Ban on the Cat and Dog Fur Trade
November 13, 2003
While several European countries have already prohibited the sale of dog and cat fur within their borders, 15 agricultural ministers from the European Union (EU) recently met in Brussels to discuss the possibility of a more comprehensive ban across the entire EU.
On Monday, November 17, the Danish delegation to the European Union asked the Agriculture Council ministers to look into a ban on the import and marketing of dog and cat fur and skins in the 15-member European Union (which will expand to 25 members in 2004). The European Commission representative to the council, while supportive of Danish delegation's position, noted that it's up the individual EU nations to legislate the cat and dog fur trade, but said that the topic would likely be addressed at a conference of the International Office of Epizooties, scheduled for February 2004.
While inconclusive, the Agriculture Council meeting was the latest in a flurry of activity over the unfolding dog and cat fur controversy in the EU, which has already led Italy, Denmark, France, and Greece to adopt bans.
The European Union's growing awareness of the dog and cat fur issue, as well as its increasing reaction to it, is due in no small part to the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and Humane Society International (HSI), which have been investigating the trade for years now. In fact, HSI's February 2003 investigation in Belgium, the governmental home of the European Union, may have been the tipping point in the whole affair.
But some background first. More than four years ago, in an 18-month investigation, HSUS undercover investigators documented the Asian trade in cat and dog fur and skins. Using video, still photos and forensic techniques, they learned that more than two million cats and dogs (at least 5,400 a day) are raised under deplorable conditions and then brutally killed by strangulation or stabbing solely for their furs and skins. (The killing methods have been known to be inefficient; some animals are skinned while still alive.) There were three primary markets for the fur: The United States, Europe and Russia.
The documentation, along with examples that showed fur and skins were on sale in American retail shops, triggered a public outcry as well as congressional action. In 2000, the United States instituted a comprehensive ban on the import, export, sale and production of cat and dog fur and skins. (While HSUS investigators continue to search for gaps in this law, they have found no more cat and dog fur on sale in the U.S. since the federal ban was enacted.)
Shifting Markets
The U.S. ban, of course, had predictable consequences: Asian warehouses, already piled high with pelts, increasingly turned to the lucrative markets of Europe. HSI investigators were close on their heels. Although the trade likely went on long before the U.S. ban, investigators documented that cat and dog fur and skins were on sale in Austria, Germany, France, Spain, Denmark, Italy, and Belgium. The Netherlands-based animal protection organization, Bont voor Dieren, also found evidence that the trade was flourishing within its own borders.
Investigators unearthed a wide variety of items made from cat and dog fur: full-length coats, linings in boots and gloves, cat figurines, pompons on sweaters, hair bows dyed to look like faux fur, and homeopathic products allegedly to help relieve arthritis. What's more, investigators found that the items were fraudulently labeled, not labeled at all or dyed to look like faux fur.
The bogus labels would prove to be important as European Union bureaucrats initially denied they had a problem, and then denied they had authority to do anything about it when the evidence became overwhelming.
However, the majority of agriculture ministers believe that the European Commission (the legislative drafting body of the EU) has the authority under internal market regulations to stop consumer fraud to protect citizens—and given the widespread mislabeling of dog and cat fur in the EU, this is consumer fraud on a massive scale. Yet the commission has dodged this question time and again, stating that when it comes to moral and ethical issues, each country has to legislate its own decisions.
Finally, after HSI pressure, legislators' demands, media coverage, and public concerns, the commission acknowledged the something "possibly" needed to be done about the trade.
The Tipping Point
The tipping point in this gradual EU acknowledgement and action was likely the Belgium investigation in February 2003. HSI investigators found cat fur on sale as blankets, pelts and full-length coats in three Belgian cities. In undercover footage, one furrier, without a moment's hesitation, said that some of the fur may have been "farmed" in Belgium. What's more, the furrier added, some may have come from lost or stray pets.
The European public could hardly believe its ears. It was bad enough that dog and cat fur came from Asia; it was even worse that such products might have actually been produced within the EU. The story whipped through the media and was covered as far away as the Philippines.
The Belgian members of the European Parliament (MEPs) pledged to take action, and they have. MEP Nelly Maes has filed the evidence with the Belgian government and is co-sponsor of an EU Parliament measure seeking a ban.
Through HSI's lobbying and coordinated campaign work with other groups, the European Union's initial denial has turned into action. In 2001, Italy was the first country to implement a regulation banning cat and dog fur and skins from its shops. In the summer of 2003, Denmark passed its own law, and on November 7, the French government signed a regulation that bans cat and dog fur and orders customs officials to enforce the law. And just recently, Greece became the latest country to adopt a ban.
Sweden is currently debating a ban, and the United Kingdom has announced it will institute a voluntary labeling scheme for all fur (with the caveat that should anyone find cat and dog fur on sale in the UK, it will then ban it). While our investigators have easily found cat and dog fur on sale throughout Europe, they have not yet unearthed evidence of any trade in the UK, although they suspect it exists there.
And in a strong show of unity, ten ministers of agriculture from France, Germany, Belgium, Italy, Austria, the Netherlands, Sweden, Denmark, Greece and the United Kingdom say they want a ban.
A Matter of Political Will
Meanwhile, MEPs led by Struan Stevenson have filed a Written Declaration calling for an EU ban on the import, export, sale, and production of cat and dog fur in Europe. Parliament rules require that the Written Declaration must have 314 signatures, or slightly more than half of the MEPs, no later than December 22, 2003, for it to become the official position of the European Parliament. Official adoption of the declaration would compel the European Commission to address the matter.
British MEP Stevenson, who has worked alongside HSI on this issue for several years, is pushing hard to gain enough signatures before time runs out. Stevenson has four co-sponsors in his signature campaign: MEPs from Belgium, the Netherlands, Greece and the United Kingdom. As of November 20, 214 MEPs have signed the declaration.
The EU Minister of Trade Pascal Lamy has said that he does not believe such a ban would trigger any World Trade Organization (WTO) problems as long as it is a balanced regulation—meaning that exports as well as imports of cat and dog fur and skins be prohibited.
How far this goes in the European Union will depend largely on political will. The central question is whether the European Commission is willing to respond to a problem that has become increasingly embarrassing for the EU government, which has been criticized by national governments for its inaction as evidence mounts about the widespread availability of dog and cat fur.
Until a ban is put into place across the European Union, the primary victims will continue to be those companion animals that we call "family members" back in America. (Unwitting consumers will continue to be caught in the crosshairs, too, as well as retailers who have no idea what they're selling.)
Until a ban is in place, at least 5,400 dogs and cats will die each day in certain parts of Asia, where these animals are mere products in a ghastly business that has spread across Europe.
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Government to Decide on Cat and Dog Fur Imports to Australia
July 31, 2003
Following Humane Society International's (HSI) revelation that dog and cat fur products from Asia are on sale in Australia, the Australian government is moving toward banning imports of cat and dog fur. In late July the staff of Customs and Justice Minister Chris Ellison revealed that Ellison and three other ministers were preparing an option paper for the government, "with a view to presenting the most effective means of stopping the import of cat and dog fur."
Since 1997, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and HSI have been investigating and documenting the international trade in dog and cat fur. The investigation has found that millions of domestic dogs and cats are killed annually for their fur, dying for the manufacture of clothing, accessories, and trinkets. Investigators witnessed firsthand the brutal slaughter of domestic dogs and cats in China and other Asian nations. What The HSUS found shocked people. Many of these animals are raised in cold, unsanitary breeding compounds. Some are strays. Others are pets who were most likely stolen. And the killing methods are grisly. Dogs—German shepherds, chows, and mixed breeds—are bludgeoned or bled to death. Cats are often strangled with wire nooses.
The investigation ultimately led to a U.S. ban on products that use such fur. Australia now has the opportunity to enact its own ban.
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Updated May 8, 2009
