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.
Maybe. . .but every so often. . .there is a story that does deserve the ride. . .
. . .and I doubt that these people. . .hunter/ gatherers of the worst sort. . .harbor any humane feelings whatsoever for these animals and so would probably kill them in the cheapest of manner. . .their pain not part of the equasion here.
They could be partially drugged; or just stunned somehow. . .but still conscious. . .
WhatEVER they do. . .it is a cruel and I hope soon, a criminal, enterprise. ..but somehow I doubt that Bulgaria cares. . .
Cat - the new mystery meat.
I am not a paganistic animal worshipper but this strikes me as almost evil......
"Where is PETA now?"
Hmmmn = now that you ask, PETA may also do this, but the Humane Society of America was cought killing dogs nad cats. Maybe they had a reason?
I'm not buyin' it, not pingin' it.
blam... can't you find a nice pet story? It's Christmastime.
If this is true then this only confirms that some asians are savages. Only a savage would treat a dog, man's best
friend, this way.
"What can you expect from savages who eat horsemeat?"
You are not trying to hijack this thread with a reference to Sam Clements book titled The French and the Comanchees are you?
;-)
Cruella DeVille.
"blam... can't you find a nice pet story? It's Christmastime."
Be so kind and take me off your ping list. Thanks.
Because I didn't ping your depressing/disgusting story?
Sure... But I'd like to know why a story like this is so important to you, and why dog lovers would want me to bring it to their attention. Who needs this crap?
My ex had a distant relative that saved the combed out fur, and yada yada yada, made into a sweater.
I'll quit wondering what the hell that means.
My dog sheds enough in 2 days to make 6 stadium blankets.
This is about as bad as it gets. Skinning a domestic dog or cat alive. SICK...HORRIBLE...
Peta is overblowing this issue to get moderates to hang with them. If they can convince enough people that this is a widespread practice, then their goal of outlawing furs altogether can be achieved.
I forget who it was who said that the best way to tell a lie was to sandwich it between two truths. They're spinning this like there is industrial-scale cat- and dog-pelt harvesting going on. I call BS on this one. As far as I'm concerned, the industrial-ness is a hoax until someone not sympathetic to PETA proves otherwise. I have no doubt that people in China are eating cats and dogs due to lack of food (because I've met Chinese nationals who were studying here who told me that they eat anything that moves, including cats and dogs), but that isn't what the article is about -- it's about industrial-scale commercialization of dog and cat pelts. I don't buy that for one second -- it simply isn't economically viable, and wouldn't be able to persist in any (non-totalitarian) EU country. The assertion of live-skinning for commercial pelt freshness is such a steaming pile of cr*p that I can't believe they tried making it. Either they don't know anything about tanning or they're assuming that no one else does. That, plus the "recommendation" of avoiding all fur products are overreaches on their part and completely undermine the credibility of this story.
"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."
I see you smelled the BS too. Remember, this is coming from PETA, so take it with a ton of salt. The above just shows you why they may want to spread disinformation: They want people not to buy fur period. To meet that goal, they try to scare people into thinking it's Lassie, skinned alive. I wouldn't put anything past PETA. Their credibility is so shot that I wouldn't believe anything they say unless they have some hard evidence. So far, nothing.
Sorry PETAphiles, you have about as much credibility as the DNC on national security.
I'm calling BS on this one. These people will say anything to advance their agenda of destroying what they disagree with.
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