Posted on 12/17/2005 6:07:46 PM PST by blam
Cheaper than mink or sable - fur coats made from dogs that were skinned alive
By Katy Duke and Elizabeth Day
(Filed: 18/12/2005)
It looks like the must-have item in every glamorous woman's winter wardrobe: a sleek, black fur coat dripping with opulence.
But despite the seductive appearance, the coat is not mink or sable. Instead, it has been manufactured from dog fur - possibly from an animal that was drugged and skinned alive to preserve the fur's freshness.
Heather Mills-McCartney with a rug made from cats' pelts Similar coats are selling rapidly in fashion boutiques across Europe.
An undercover investigation has revealed a booming trade in dog fur coats from eastern Europe, some of which are likely to be on sale in Britain. The fur, which comes from both strays and captured pets, is often re-labelled to disguise its origins before being stitched into coats and re-dyed. This Bulgarian fur, for instance, was incorrectly passed off as "Korean Wolf".
Unlike a mink, which can cost £10,000, a top-price coat made from dog pelt may sell in markets of western Europe for around £400.
The investigation by a German television documentary crew focused on Bulgaria, where it found that stray dogs were routinely rounded up by licensed trappers and delivered to fur factories.
Anita Singh, a campaign co-ordinator for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals in Britain, said that there were also reports of pets being snatched for their fur. "They tend to be bigger dogs like German shepherds or golden retrievers," she said. "It is important for people to realise that when they buy fur it is nearly impossible to tell whether real dog or cat has been used unless it undergoes extensive DNA testing.
"You can find dog fur in shopping centres in Britain labelled as something else. It is a disgusting industry and our advice is simply to avoid all types of fur."
It is not illegal to trade in dog and cat fur in Britain, although bans have been imposed in the United States, Sweden, Denmark, Greece, Italy, France and Australia.
The British Fur Trade Association, which represents the fur industry, said none of its members knowingly used dog fur, and it had introduced a labelling system to try to guard against its use.
Most furs - such as mink, fox, seal or rabbit - have their own classification so it is possible to see how much is imported and exported. Fur that falls under the "other fur" category, however, does not have to be listed by species and could include dog or cat fur.
Historically, the British have been unwilling to buy dog fur. In the children's book, 101 Dalmatians, written by Dodie Smith in 1948, the villainous Cruella de Vil tries to steal dalmatian puppies to make herself a unique spotted coat.
Yordanka Zrcheva, the president of the Bulgarian Society for the Protection of Animals, went undercover for a German television documentary to demonstrate the extent of the problem.
Miss Zrcheva said that the country, which is hoping to join the European Union in just over a year, produced "tens of thousands" of dog pelts to sell across Europe.
"There is a massive industry based on the systematic killing of dogs," she said. "There are dog fur factories all over Bulgaria, and they produce all sorts of items, like fur coats, leather shoes and bags made from dogs and so on."
According to Rumi Becker, a spokesman for the Doctors for Animals group which works for the protection of Bulgaria's stray dogs, the authorities are unwilling to clamp down because the industry is "big business".
In Bulgaria the average salary is around £35 a month, while a teacher makes about £80 a month and a doctor £100. One fur coat can be sold inside the country for £200 and more than double that abroad.
"It is hard to collate exact numbers but around 10,000 dogs are collected and killed in Sofia alone every year, often shipped straight to fur factories from dog pounds and animal shelters," said Dr Becker.
"The so-called fur lords who run the factories are farming the dogs on the street without having to pay any support. They don't have to feed or house them or anything except round them up and then skin them.
"I bought a black and white coat labelled Korean Wolf. I asked if it was made with street dog fur, and the vendor said it was, but that I should keep my voice down. I was pretending to be a dealer, and asked if it would be possible to have more. She told me she had 750 in a storeroom in Sofia."
Last week, the anti-fur campaigner Heather Mills McCartney urged the European Union to ban the trade in cat and dog fur, citing the example of the Czech Republic.
"Domestic cats are stolen off the streets, and we're talking about 2,000 to 3,000 just in the Czech Republic, not in the whole of Europe," she said.
There is no doubt this is happening however. Germans Shepards are the number one breed for this cruelty and they are used for so many different fun furs (brightly dyed) all over the world. It is incredibly cruel. Please don't buy anything from China.
Millions of raccoon dogs (of the Canidae family) and esp German Sheperds are skinned alive in China. Though what you say makes perfect sense and I wish so much it were true.
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