Investigation Revealing Canine Fur on Coats Leads to Legal Petition to Enforce Federal Fur Labeling Law
WASHINGTON – Continuing its campaign to eliminate widespread deception and the use of dog fur trim in the apparel industry, The Humane Society of the United States petitioned the Federal Trade Commission today seeking criminal and civil penalties against a range of nationally known retailers and fashion designers.
The HSUS petition named 14 parties that have or are now engaged in the "manufacturing, selling, advertising, and/or labeling fur-trimmed garments in violation of the federal Fur Products Labeling Act."
The action comes after HSUS investigators found a proliferation of falsely advertised and falsely labeled fur on clothing sold by some of the largest names in U.S. retailing. Of the fur-trimmed jackets subjected to mass spectrometry testing, 96 percent were found to be domestic dog, wolf or raccoon dog. Most were falsely advertised, mislabeled or not labeled at all. The raccoon dog is a member of the canid family killed in China for fur. Raccoon dogs are often killed in especially inhumane ways in China, and sometimes even skinned alive.
In response to the investigation, many retailers and designers took action to put customers and animals first. Calvin Klein and Tommy Hilfiger both announced plans to go fur-free. Tommy Hilfiger, Burlington Coat Factory, Loehmann's and Beyoncé Knowles' House of Deréon endorsed the federal Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act in Congress. Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter's Rocawear label and Sean "Diddy" Combs' Sean Jean label pulled garments from circulation and indicated they will not use raccoon dog fur in future. Nordstrom called the customers who bought the problematic jacket to offer a refund, Joie brand has recalled garments and DKNY will no longer use raccoon dog fur in the future.
However, more than a dozen major retailers have not taken appropriate action to protect consumers, including Andrew Marc, Barneys, Bergdorf Goodman, Bluefly, Dillard's, Foot Locker, J.C. Penney, Lord & Taylor, Macy's (Federated Department Stores), Michael Kors, Neiman Marcus, Baby Phat, Ross and Spiewak.
"Selling domestic dog and raccoon dog fur as 'faux' or other deceptive names is far outside the range of acceptable business practices," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "We applaud the many retailers and designers that have halted this unlawful trade, and we are urging the FTC to take swift action against the remaining parties to ensure consumers are not misled about the origin of their products."
Timeline:
- 2005 – HSUS begins investigation into raccoon dog fur trade.
- February 2006 – HSUS announces finding raccoon dog fur for sale in United States.
- December 2006 – Tests commissioned by HSUS investigators find raccoon dog fur on jackets being advertised as "faux" and labeled as other species such as raccoon or coyote.
- February 2007 – Tests commissioned by HSUS investigators find domestic dog fur on unlabeled jackets being advertised as "faux" fur.
- February 2007 - U.S. Representatives Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Michael Ferguson (R-N.J.) introduce the Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act, H.R. 891.
- March 2007 – HSUS files petition with FTC seeking to enforce the Fur Products Labeling Act.
Facts:
- It is illegal to import, export, sell or advertise any domestic dog fur in the United States.
- Under current law, fur must be identified with a label, but only if the value of the fur exceeds $150. Once fur is identified on a label, regardless of value, the species must be accurately disclosed.
- U.S. Representatives Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Michael Ferguson (R-N.J.) introduced the Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act, H.R. 891, which aims to protect consumers and animals by outlawing the import of fur from raccoon dogs and requiring all garments trimmed with fur to be labeled, regardless of value. The bill now has 45 cosponsors in Congress.
- The Moran-Ferguson legislation will amend the Fur Products Labeling Act of 1951 that exempts garments with a "relatively small quantity or value" of fur from requiring labels disclosing the name of the species, the manufacturer, the country of origin and other pertinent information for consumers. The Federal Trade Commission defines that value today as $150—an amount that allows multiple animal pelts on a garment without a label, and therefore does not require labeling of many fur-trimmed garments.
- The Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 banned the trade in domestic dog and cat fur after an HSUS investigation revealed the death toll of 2 million animals a year in China and other parts of Asia and found domestic dog fur for sale in the United States.
- Half of all fur garments entering the United States come from China, where large numbers of domestic dogs and cats, raccoon dogs and other animals are killed every year for their fur by brutal methods, sometimes skinned alive.
- The raccoon dog is a member of the canid family with markings resembling those of a raccoon. Journalists and investigators with animal protection groups have reported animals being skinned alive for fur in China.
- For a video on the fur scandal and more information, go to www.hsus.org/furfree .
-30-
The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization – backed by 10 million Americans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, The HSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals through advocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals and confronting cruelty -- On the web at www.humanesociety.org.
