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This holiday season, as you shop for gifts for your family and friends, be aware that fraudulent labeling on common clothing items can hide a brutal, unregulated industry.

The “faux fur” trim on that jacket you’re buying from your local department store, for example, likely originated on the back of an Asian dog species, millions of which are being raised and slaughtered in the most inhumane manner – and sold to unsuspecting U.S. consumers.

Following a 3-year investigation that dovetails with the undercover work of other animal rights groups overseas, the Humane Society has reported widespread mislabeling of “faux fur” products in major department and retail stores. After a campaign aimed at getting retailers to introduce corrective measures proved ineffective, the Society filed a lawsuit in the Washington, D.C. Superior Court against six of the nation’s largest retailers and fashion designers for false advertising and mislabeling of fur garments – including Andrew Marc, Lord and Taylor, Macy’s (and its retail outlet, Bloomingdales), Nieman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.

The suit alleges that these companies misrepresent fur products by labeling and marketing them as “faux fur” when they are not, or by advertising and labeling products as raccoon, fox or rabbit fur – when they are in fact made from raccoon dog, a canine species from Asia.

The Society estimates that between 1.5 million and 4 million raccoon dogs are currently being raised for their fur in China – where documentation shows them being raised in squalid conditions. Their pelts are then funneled through international manufacturers or shipping stations, to be passed off as European products to U.S. and other consumers. Even if the label says “made in Europe,” warn investigators, the animal was probably raised and slaughtered elsewhere – mostly likely China.

According to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), there are no regulations governing fur farming in China, which reportedly supplies more than half of the finished fur garments imported for sale in the U.S. The Human Society investigation reportedly found raccoon dog fur on 80% of a nation-wide sample of fur-trimmed jackets from well-known retailers and designers. Importing raccoon dog fur is not illegal in the U.S.

Animal rights activists report that millions of dogs, cats and other animals are raised and killed in Asia and elsewhere under the most deplorable conditions to produce goods for the worldwide fur trade each year. Dog-fur products, mislabeled and passed off to unsuspecting U.S. consumers, have been discovered in retail venues ranging from the most expensive designer stores to discount outlets.

The Humane Society also filed two legal petitions with the Federal Trade Commission in 2007 and 2008, which are still pending. The current suit is filed under the Consumer Protection Procedures Act in Washington D.C., an area where there is a high concentration of these companies’ retail outlets.

Mislabeling fur products is a misdemeanor punishable with a $5,000 fine or up to a year in prison. Fur products under $150 value do not legally require labeling.

What you can do:

• Do not buy anything that contains fur. Even if the label claims it’s “faux” fur, chances are it’s not. If there are no customers, there’s no reason to keep killing the animals for their fur.
• Urge your legislators to support the important truth in fur labeling bills now being considered. Visit: http://www.hsus.org/furfree/news/truth_in_fur_labeling_law.htm1
• Make a donation to the Fur-Free Campaign at The Humane Society of the United Sates in the fight against cruelty and deception of fur. Visit This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it “Raccoon Dog, A Brutal Ending”.

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