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| FUR FACTS |
| Working Against the Use of Pelts in Fashion |
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On November 17, Tony Blair announced he was banning fur farming in Britain. But if you thought fur was a thing of the past, think again. A shock report has revealed that fur, some taken from cats and dogs, is back with a vengance. With big name fashion labels like Dolce & Gabbana including fur in their winter collections, it looks like fashion's biggest faux-pas is making a grim comeback... Us Brits are a nation of animal lovers, right? We pamper our pooches, care for our kitties and spend millions of pounds a year on pet products. Some of us even bury our furry friends in special 'pet cemeteries' befored they go to the giant litter tray in the sky. Why then, according to a shocking report by the Humane Society of the United States, could hundreds of us actually be wearing our pets? That's right - cat and dog fur is in the shops for you to buy. 'We know domestic cat and dog fur is being imported into Britain for use in the fashion industry,' says Kerry Wyler, a spokesperson for London Animal Action. And a recent BBC investigation featured footage of Alaska Brokerage, a fur company based in London and New York, in negotiations to import 160,000 dog and cat furs. Using real fur in fashion is cruel whatever the animal, but killing animals that most of us love as pets seems particularly shocking. 'Because there are no laws to force clothes manufacturers to state exactly what kind of fur is used, consumers could be buying dog or cat fur without even knowing it, ' adds Kerry. 'Cat and dog fur is used in the cheaper end of the fashion market, because it's less expensive and easier to produce than furs like mink,' she explains. 'Most of it is bought from Chinese businesses that use cats and dogs in the meat trade.' LABELS THAT LIE So just how many cats and dogs are being butchered in the name of fashion? A few hundred? A couple of thousand? Sadly not...'Every year, over two million cats and dogs are slaughtered for their fur,' says Rick Swain, Vice President of Investigations for the Humane Society of the United States. 'Their fur's then used in a wide range of clothing and accessories, from full-length and fur-trimmed garments to hats, gloves, stuffed toys and children's clothing.' Even more shocking, it's not illegal to import cat or dog fur into Britain, or to sell it here. The only restrictions are on selling the fur of endangered species, like tigers or zebras. One of the main reasons the use of this fur has, so far, gone unnoticed is because it's often disguised, with fashion companies using labels stating that their fur is from other animals. they get away with this because it isn't against the law. The Humane Society says manufacturers often mislead shoppers. Dog fur is also labelled as 'special skin', 'goatskin', 'lambskin' or 'mountain goat skin'. And cat fur is often called 'wild cat', 'katzenfelle', 'goyangi' and 'mountain cat' on labels. 'There is a lot of secrecy involved,' warns Animal Action's Kerry, 'and we don't know how widespread the problem is, as the law says labels only need to say whether the fur is real or fake, not which animal it comes from. According to Kerry, a large percentage of fur ends up as trims on gloves, scarves and jackets. What's more, the fur is often dyed so that it looks fake. So, shoppers could be tricked into buying products they believe are 'animal-friendly'. 'The main thing to remember is that all fur comes from animals who have suffered terribly, often dying slow, painful deaths, ' says Kerry. FARMS THAT HARM The way fur is produced is perhaps the most shocking of all. All over the world, animals bred for their fur are born and raised on fur frams. And if you're imagining old stone farmhouses surrounded by green, grassy fields, think again. 'The conditions on these farms are appalling,' says Rick. 'In China our investigators witnessed dogs sitting in unheated rooms in the middle of winter, surrounded by the bodies of dogs who hadn't survived.' It's not surprising that the government is planning to pass a Bill that will ban fur farming in the UK by the end of 2002. A MORI research poll in 1997 revealed that 88% of people in the UK were opposed to fur farming. However, even when the UK fur farms have all gone, it will still be legal to import fur into the country. 'It's impossible to make importing pelts (animal skins and fur) and finished garments made from fur illegal - International trade rules mean you just can't do it,' explains Andrew Butler of PETA. 'However, when the UK ban becomes effective, it will be illegal to import or export animals to be used for the fur trade.' SKINNED ALIVE If the way animals are kept sounds bad, the way they are killed is often far worse. Animals on fur farms are killed in a variety of ways, including poisoning and electricution, as these techniques protect the fur. No thought is given to the animals. One farmer told PETA that using a lethal pain-free injection to kill animals was 'too expensive', even though it only costs about 20p per animal. Instead, he uses a metal noose pole to lift each animal from their cage by the neck, shoves an electric prod up its bottom and forces a metal conductor into the mouth. A flip of a switch shoots 250 volts of electricity through its body and the animal dies in agaony. According to the Humane Society's Rick Swain, 'Cats are hung, or water is forced down their throats until they drown.' And, sadly, dogs don't fare any better. Rick says most of the dogs killed for fur are German Shepherds - intelligent animals who are used in many countries as police dogs and guide dogs for the blind. Their grisly fate can involve anything from being stabbed in the groin and left to bleed to death, to being literally skinned alive. TIME FOR CHANGE Although the number of people wearing fur has dropped over the last few years, it's still big business. 'People seem to think fur has faded out of fashion, but it's never really left the catwalk,' explains Andrew. 'It's just not as common in high street shops.' The International Fur Trade Federation (IFTF) is an independent pro-fur organisation. It reckons that over 170 fashion designers are currently working with fur, and says that this is fuelling the revival of interest in fur. Dolce & Gabbana has used fur this season and, three years ago, Naomi Campbell was branded a hypocrite after claiming she would 'rather go naked than wear fur' in a poster campaign for PETA, but then wore it on the catwalk. famous faces, including Lauryn Hill, Catherine Zeta Jones and Sean 'Puffy' Combs have also taken to wearing fur. Fortunately, some of the world's coolest designers refuse to use animal fur. Stella McCartney (click here to see her Fur Farm Expose'), whose late mother, Linda, was one of the best known campaigners for animal rights in the UK, has shunned fur, saying, 'When you consider what the animals endure, there's nothing glamorous about fur'. And Red or Dead fashion guru, Wayne Hemmingway, describes people using fur in fashion as 'ethically and morally bankrupt'. TAKE ACTION It's all very well criticising the fur trade, but what can we do about it? According to Diane Sanderson of the Corneyhaugh Fur Campaign, taking action really can help. 'You've got to speak out,' she stresses. 'We have had a couple of major victories during the past year. We managed to convince high street designer, Karen Millen, that using real fur would lose her customers, and she pleged never to sell it again in her stores. That wasn't the only victory: 'When we discovered Fenwick's in Newcastle was selling a coat of rabbit fur, even though it pledged not to sell fur years ago, I contacted the manager. He removed it from sale - it was a mistake and the coat had slipped through the net.' Sadly, many designers and fashion outlets are happy to sell fur. High street chains like Emma Somerset and French Dressing currently sell fur, while high-profile designers have used fur in recent collections. While wearing fur is a personal choice, the public hasd a right to know exactly what they're buying. Until the government's Department Of Trade And Industry introduces tighter labelling laws on clothing, it will be a difficult choice to make. WHAT YOU CAN DO 1. Boycott designers who use fur. 2. Write to designers who work with fur, explaining politely why they've lost you as a customer. 3. If you see fur in a shop, whether it's a whole coat or just some trimming on a pair of gloves, ask what kind of fur it is. Check the label, and if you're still unconvinced, contact the head office and ask to know what it is and the company's views on fur. 4. Write to the Department Of Trade And Industry, using the letter below as a guide. Remember to put your full name and address on the letter. Kim Howells DTI 1 Victoria Street London SW1H 0ET Date Dear Mr Howells I'm writing to let you know that I disagree with the current fur labelling laws in Britain. I think it's terrible that labels on clothes made from fur, or partly from fur, don't have to state what animal (including companion animals such as dogs and cats) the fur comes from. Please change the labelling laws, so that people will know that the clothes they are buying may be made from the fur of an innocent animal. Yours sincerely Your signature Fur Is Dead (PETA) World Animal Net: The Anti-Fur Campaign Please read PETA's campaign against the use of Indian Leather in GAP garments PETA's GAP Leather Campaign The contact address for the Indian Ambassador to the UK is: Mr Dayal Indian High Commission India House Aldwich London WC2 B4N Please ensure that when you are writing to any individual, company, organisation or government body regarding Animal Rights that you are polite - even if you have steam coming out of your ears! Aggressive or rude mail is never dealt with. See our Paws On Projects page for PETA's excellent letter writing guide. |
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