Cat & Dog Fur Trade

[Guest guest]

Thursday, July 17, 2003 11:51 AM

 

Respect for Animals: Fur press release on the governments annoucement re

cat and dog fur for your

information.

 

GOVERNMENT 'DEAL' WITH FUR TRADE WILL NOT STOP TRADE IN DOG AND CAT FUR

 

The government has today missed an important opportunity to bring an end

to the cruel trade in dog and cat fur, according to leading anti-fur

group Respect for Animals.

 

Today's announcement that a 'voluntary' labelling scheme is to be

introduced coincided with the tabling of an Early Day Motion by Helen

Clark MP and 101 fellow MPs calling for government support for an EU ban

on the trade in dog and cat fur. A previous EDM that urged the

government to bring in a national ban on the trade was supported by over

200 MPs.

 

The United States and Italy have already banned the trade in cat and dog

fur and Denmark and Sweden are soon to follow suit.

 

Mark Glover, Campaigns Director for Respect for Animals said: 'We are

appalled that the government has chosen not to take decisive action on

this important issue. Animals are, quite literally, being skinned alive

for this trade and the government's response is to wash its hands of the

issue and hand over responsibility to the fur trade. It's like putting

Dracula in charge of the blood banks.

 

We think the animals should be given the benefit of the doubt and a ban

on the trade introduced without further delay. No one in their right

mind is going to object to a ban and it would send a clear message that

cruelty will not be tolerated.

 

A voluntary labelling order will not stop the trade. Those dealing in

dog and cat fur will simply not join the scheme - this is a shameful

cosmetic exercise which will do nothing to stop the killing.'

 

ENDS

 

For more information contact: 0115 9525 440 or 07850 768 337 or visit

www.respectforanimals.org

 

Helen Clark MP can be contacted at 020 7219 4469.

 

Notes: More than 2 million dogs and cats are killed each year for their

fur

in China.

 

Text of EDM:

 

That this House is concerned about the continuing trade in dog and cat

fur

that is taking place within the European Union and welcomes the recent

statement by European Trade Commissioner Pascal Lamy that 'a

non-discriminatory ban on dog and cat fur to both internal trade and

imports

would not be inconsistent with WTO rules per se.'; is further concerned

that

the ban on imports of dog and cat fur into the USA will mean that more

of

these products will be entering the EU and, due to their low price, be

used

as a substitute for more expensive types of fur, which provides an

incentive

to engage in unfair or fraudulent trade practices; and urges Her

Majesty's

Government to support a European ban on the import, export and domestic

trade in dog and cat fur and of products made with dog and cat fur as

soon

as possible.

 

 

 

 

--

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