Your Fur Coat — Fake Or Fido?

Group Finds Alarming Number Of Garments Marketed As Faux Fur Really Domestic Dog

(AP)  Raccoon dogs look like oversized, fluffy raccoons and aren't kept as pets. Importing their fur is not illegal, but activists argue they are still a type of dog.

"This is an animal that is routinely killed by stomping them, or beating them, or skinning them alive," Markarian said. Video produced by Swiss Animal Protection and posted on the Internet shows raccoon dogs clubbed or slammed on the ground and some writhing, gasping and blinking as they are skinned alive.

The discovery of domestic dog fur is the latest twist in the investigation that ensnared retail giants Macy's and J.C. Penney late last year. Both of those retailers were discovered selling coats with raccoon dog fur labeled as raccoon.

J.C. Penney initially removed the offending garments from its stores around Christmas — but eventually it had employees scratch out the 'raccoon' label with black magic marker and put the coats back on the shelves. Macy's immediately pulled the items from its shelves.

Burlington Coat Factory also pulled some coats with mislabeled fur from their shelves. Rap artist Sean "Diddy" Combs stopped producing and selling coats from his Sean John line that had raccoon dog fur, and rapper Jay-Z pulled coats with raccoon dog from his Rocawear label.

Mislabeling fur is a misdemeanor punishable by a $5,000 fine or a year in prison. Fur valued at less than $150 is not required to be labeled.

A bill introduced by Reps. Jim Moran, a Virginia Democrat, and Mike Ferguson, a New Jersey Republican, would close that loophole by requiring labels for all fur regardless of its value. It also would ban fur from raccoon dogs.

"Americans don't want Lassie turned into a fur coat," Moran said. "In the U.S., we treat cats and dogs as pets, not trimmings for the latest fashion wear."

Other retailers the Humane Society said sold mislabeled raccoon dog fur included Lord & Taylor, BergdorfGoodman.com and Neiman Marcus.com. Designers whose clothes were mismarked included Donna Karan's DKNY and Michael Kors. A coat from Oscar de la Renta advertised as raccoon had raccoon dog fur.

Neiman Marcus, which owns Bergdorf Goodman, said it removed Bogner and Andrew Marc coats from its Web sites. Michael Kors said it was investigating, and a DKNY spokeswoman said the label was unaware that raccoon dog fur had been used.

Donna Karan's executive vice president for global marketing and communications, Patti Cohen, said, "While it is not illegal to use this type of fur, we have taken measures to ensure that it is never again used for any of our products."

A spokeswoman for Oscar de la Renta declined to comment.

[mpetrilak]

It's not the value of the animal as you perceive it, it is the moral value of the human's actions and judgement. If we lack values in dealing with a species lower than ourselves,how can we attach value in judgement to our actions toward our own?

[geecee55]

matvei1107 and all others who DON'T GET IT!! This has nothing to do with the "cute factor" or whether we kill cows for meat, etc - it has to do with the HUMANE killing of animals - i.e. not being skinned alive, and also not being killed for VANITY and PROFIT! Fur is NOT a necessity in this age - not for fur coats, much less for TRIM on any kind of clothing, for decoration, etc. It is one thing to humanely kill animals for their meat - it is entirely another to torture and skin alive a beautiful living, breathing, FEELING creature so that some *** can walk around in fur and make herself feel like she's "somebody" - the more I hear peoples' heartless opinions on this, the less I wonder why I love animals - at least they don't kill us to use OUR skins to make themselves feel more attractive!!!! They kill solely for food - for their survival. If we can't live without adorning ourselves with fur to show off (cuz let's face it, that's the ONLY reason people want it!), who's the more evolved?? If you don't love the planet that God gave you with all of its wondrous creations, then hey, GET OFF!!

[hermit22]

"federal crime" to sell dog fur and the fine is $10,000 for EACH violation, but some fool judge on the east coast gave some pervert who had violated a 4 year old CHILD numerous times a $25 fine, was it?, and freeed that pervert to walk the streets on "probation"....check it out on Oprah.com. the show with bill o'riley and ed smart, father to elizabeth who was kidnapped in utah.

what is crazy about this picture?

[geecee55]

nvhorseman, you sound at first like you're all for taking a stand on behalf of the animals, then you turn around and say we have no moral right to judge what they do in China and Korea - yes, animals are mistreated here, too, but two wrongs don't make a right - we DO have a moral right (and obligation) to be outraged and disgusted when it's brought to our attention, no matter WHERE it's happening! I write letters, sign petitions, boycott products, get other people involved, etc. in EVERY case of animal abuse and neglect that comes to my attention (and yes, I take in stray animals, too!). And as for people in China or wherever having to eat those animals to stay alive, that's not the point - the point is that the animals are being SKINNED ALIVE! Your heart's in the right place, tho, and your advice to people to get involved is great - but your last line about emaciated models? Well, gee, sorry if I don't feel a lot of sympathy for women who CHOOSE to make a living by strutting their skinny bodies down a runway. That's their choice! Not like the animals, huh?

[unowen1-2009]

This is all BS. Dogs and cats may be pets, but so are rabbits and horses. Either all fur is good or all fur is bad. A typical example of "I want to wear fur, but don't want to skin the animal myself".

All or nothing. Animals have rights or not, no animal is better than another. Many animals are domesticated to be docile for meat or fur purposes, why bust another country that bred their dogs for meat or fur? We breed cows, pigs, and sheep for meat, why is it different?

It sounds like what is needed is for clothiers that use fur to monitor how the animals are killed, regardless of species. What happens to the fur of all the dogs killed in shelters in the U.S...

[chicabear1]

Geecee, I agree with you 100%. The animals suffer too much already at the hands of humans. It's a terrible, sad case. I don't think anyone should eat horses, use chimps for experimentation, or use dog fur for clothing. In my opinion, that's just plain stupid. There are so many other alternatives for clothing material than to use fur. I even sent JC Penney an email that I would not shop at their stores until they stop paying people to kill animals for their fur. I don't think they give a da*n, because many retailers are only after the almighty dollar. They don't care how they get their profits, as long as they get it. I will not support retailers that kill innocent animals!

[geecee55]

Palms29Cal and all who think like him/her - you are what's wrong with this world, thinking that animals don't matter or can't feel pain, or should be treated like so much garbage. You are heartless and should be banned from living on this planet. I am disgusted by the attitude of people who think that torturing animals for ANY reason is OK - if you're not saddened and sickened by the way God's defenseless creatures are treated, there is something seriously wrong with you. There is no excuse for wearing fur today - there are plenty of synthetic materials that are just as warm and "fashionable" as real fur. What are we, friggin' cavemen?? Evolve, people, evolve!!

I don't get it. Who cares whether they are trimmed in nylon, dog hair or real mink? It's much a' do about nothing. Animals are not humans, stop the anthropomorphic nonsense. Start throwing ketchup back on the protesters. Or maybe give them a teddy bear to hug.
Posted by Palms29Cal at 11:34 AM : Feb 23, 2007

I care for innocent people, moreso than I do for innocent animals. In your case though, you seem to be of the ideal that anything you can exploit, should be exploited. If that is indeed what you believe, then I surely care more for these animals than I do for your well-being.

The difference being that humans given to self-interested, exploitative choices get less sympathy from me. If these animals were being killed humanely to save humans, I would have no issue. They are instead being killed (skinned alive in some cases) in order to make you look fashionable, which is just disgusting when you think about it. If people cared more for nature and it's creatures, the world would be a much better place.

This is not a part of natural selection...

[palms29cal]

I don't get it. Who cares whether they are trimmed in nylon, dog hair or real mink? It's much a' do about nothing. Animals are not humans, stop the anthropomorphic nonsense. Start throwing ketchup back on the protesters. Or maybe give them a teddy bear to hug.

[mitywhity]

If you don't like it don't buy it. Check the label. If it ain't fox, mink, sable, muskrat, seal, otter, etc. what do you think it is? I don't own fur or buy fur for my lady. I don't like hair growing all over her so why would I buy a coat of it and put her in it?

[karmad-2009]

HBO reported on this years ago, images of tortured dogs have haunted me ever since. For designers and retailers to claim ignorance of this heinous activity is disingenous at best, and is more than just another example of corporate greed, but of the evil of cruelty disguising itself as "fashion".

So it's ok to skin a raccoon alive but not a raccoon dog?

[geecee55]

It's high time retailers here took a moral and ethical stand on this issue - there has been evidence for a long time now that dogs and cats are skinned alive in places like China, and their fur used for trim on clothing and other items. If the market doesn't exist for these items, the practice will stop! Check Heather Mills McCartney's website at http://www.heathermillsmccartney.com/dogcatfur.php - if those photos don't convince you, then nothing will. Thank you, HSUS, for bringing this to the general public's attention!