Guest guest Posted May 13, 2003 Report Share Posted May 13, 2003 More articles from the UK concerning the trade in cat and dog fur Best Wishes, Dave Glasgow Herald 9 May 2003 http://www.theherald.co.uk/ Cats and dogs 'being skinned to make blankets' VICKY COLLINS ANIMAL rights campaigners are calling on the European countries to ban trade in cat and dog fur, after reports of cats being farmed for their skin in Belgium. The Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) and the Scottish Society for the Protection of Animals (SSPCA) said it was disgraceful that Italy was the only country in Europe to impose an outright ban on the trade. The call for stricter regulation came after the BBC claimed to have seen a video showing a blanket made from fur collected from a Belgian cat farm. The furrier displaying the garment said stray cats and dogs in the country were being rounded up and taken to the farm to be skinned. The video undermines the claim of the European Commission that there are no cat or dog fur farms in Europe. The vast majority of imported fur from cats and dogs originates in the Far East, with the main exporter being China. An estimated two million cats and dogs are slaughtered every year. Between 1999 and 2001 there was a 50% increase in fur imports to Britain from China and Thailand, the SSPCA said. DNA tests on the fur trim on jackets on sale in Italy earlier this year proved they were made from dog fur, and the country has now become the first to impose a ban. The Italian stockists said their suppliers had told them the trim was made from the fur of raccoons or raccoon dogs, which live in eastern Siberia, China, and Japan. However, CAFT said labels rarely ever correctly identified the origin of the fur, and that often the animal named did not exist. The campaign group was not surprised by the claims made by the BBC yesterday. Pete Harris, a spokesman, said: " Although most of the evidence on the cat and dog fur trade is coming from China and the Philippines, there have been stories for the last 20 or 30 years of cats and dogs in Britain being rounded up and killed for their fur. " If these allegations about fur farming in Belgium turn out to be true it would really come as no surprise. We have been calling for a ban on the cat and dog fur trade for a long time now, and we think it is high time the EU and member states took a stand on this issue. " Mr Harris also warned consumers that it was impossible to ensure that any fur they bought did not come from a domesticated animal. " We very rarely see cat and dog fur labelled as such and the only way people can be sure that they are not supporting this trade is to buy no fur at all. " A spokeswoman for the SSPCA also warned that some children's toys were being made from cat and dog fur. ------- http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/3011995.stm Last Updated: Thursday, 8 May, 2003, 21:18 GMT 22:18 UK New calls for fur trade ban Scientific tests show this cuddly toy is made from dog fur Animal pressure groups have reacted with shock to evidence seen by the BBC which suggests cats are being farmed for their skin in the European Union. The Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (Caft) said the report reinforced the case for a Europe-wide ban on the production and trade of cat and dog fur. " We had not heard this before, but we are not surprised, " said Caft's Pete Harris. " It's a trade that horrifies most people, so there would be little or no opposition to such a ban. " The BBC's Tim Franks in Brussels watched a secretly-recorded video in which a salesman showed a buyer two different furs, produced from cats farmed in Belgium and from cats picked up on Belgian streets. Italy ban Officials in Brussels repeated on Thursday in the wake of his report that they had no evidence of cat or dog farming in the EU. Cat and dog fur trade Campaigners claim 2 million cats and dogs slaughtered every year Main exporter: China 12 to 15 adult dogs needed to make a dog fur coat Up to 24 cats needed for cat fur coat Cat and dog fur also used in hats, gloves, shoes, blankets, stuffed animals and toys Dog fur sometimes labelled as: Gae-wolf, sobaki, Asian jackal, goupee, loup d'Asie, Corsac fox, dogues du Chine, or simply fake or exotic fur Cat fur sometimes labelled as: house cat, wild cat, katzenfelle, rabbit, goyangi, mountain cat They said it was up to national governments to ban the trade in cat and dog fur. The UK's Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) said it was " horrified " at the news, and called on the UK Government to take action. " The European Commission has concluded that each member state must decide for itself on how to tackle this issue, " said the head of the RSPCA's international and campaigns department, David Bowles. " We would now call on the UK Government to go beyond its preferred approach of labelling goods, and opt instead for an outright ban on the import of cat and dog fur products. " A US ban is reported to have led the European market for the products to expand. So far Italy is the only European country to have banned the trade. Inhumane treatment The UK Department of Trade and Industry said it was deeply concerned by the BBC report, but that it had no immediate plans to follow Italy's example. Mr Stevenson has collected cat and dog fur products on sale in Europe A spokeswoman said the case for more scientific testing of fur products to check for accurate labelling was being examined. However, she added that policy was usually only made when there was a clear need, and that it was currently difficult to know how much cat and dog fur was reaching Britain. British MEP Struan Stevenson told the BBC that two million cats and dogs are being killed in China alone each year, in order to satisfy demand in Europe. As evidence of the trade he has collected: A blanket made out of four golden retrievers, bought in Copenhagen Individual cat skins complete with eye-holes, paws and tails, bought in Barcelona A full-length coat made out of up to 42 Alsatian puppies, bought in Berlin A cuddly toy cat made out of dog fur Mr Struan said the treatment of animals in fur farms was often inhumane and that he had seen videos of Alsatian dogs being skinned alive. ----- http://www.timesonline.co.uk/newspaper/0,,174-674277,00.html Independent May 09, 2003 China turns cuddly pets into coats and cuddly toys >From Rory Watson in Brussels MILLIONS of cats and dogs are routinely slaughtered and their fur used to make sweaters, coats, rugs and cuddly toys that are sold to an unsuspecting public, Euro MPs said yesterday. Struan Stevenson, the Scottish Conservative MEP, challenged the European Union to follow the example of the United States and Italy, which have introduced a ban on the import or sale of such goods. " Europe's public, its legislators and ministers all want an end to the import, export and sale of these items. Despite such strength of opinion, this cruel trade in cat and dog fur is still not illegal in Europe. I am determined to press for an immediate ban, " he said. Flanked by Liberal Democrat and Green colleagues, he displayed two rugs. One had been made with the skins of four golden retrievers and another with the fur of 20 cats. A small figurine of a kitten in a straw basket, which the MEP had bought in Shetland but can be found in airport shops and other outlets, was labelled " made in China: animal by-products " . DNA tests revealed that it had been made from dog hair. China is the main source of the two million cats and dogs that are killed annually for their fur. But the country is not alone. Evidence provided by the American animal welfare group, Humane Society International, which secretly filmed several furriers earlier this year, confirms that the practice is well-established in Belgium. Mr Stevenson said: " One merchant even stated that cats were farmed in Belgium. Another claimed that stray cats and dogs were being rounded up in Brussels and Ghent and killed for their pelts. A third furrier claimed that dog and cat skins were routinely purchased through an English-speaking broker in China. " The furs are made into coats and stuffed animals and are used as trim for gloves, boots and clothing. Tests on a lambswool women's jumper bought in Amsterdam revealed that pompoms on the garment were made from dog fur. Chris Davies, the Liberal Democrat MEP, who supports a ban, suggested that the EU should insist on proper labelling " so that people can make their own decisions " . Items made from cat and dog fur either have no labels indicating their origin or use false terms, such as " gae-wolf " , " sobaki " , " special skin " or " mountain cat " . The European Commission insisted yesterday that there was no evidence of cats and dogs being farmed for their fur inside the Union. It also argued that it had no powers under animal welfare rules to introduce a ban. Critics retorted that action could be justified under consumer protection legislation. The British Government supports clamping down on the use of cat and dog fur. A spokesman said: " We are very concerned that domestic cat and dog fur may be being produced within the EU. " Britain has banned fur farming and is encouraging its EU partners to take similar action. -- Dave Neale Animals Asia Foundation Find out more about the historic China Bear Rescue by visiting the Animals Asia Foundation website at http://www.animalsasia.org Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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