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New photographs taken by a DIA member weekend of the 7th-8th April 2007
12 April 2007
European Parliament Committee update
A comprehensive EU-wide ban on trade in cat and dog fur was approved by the European Parliament Committee on Internal Market and Consumer Protection on April 12. The committee scrapped a proposed exception that would allow trade in fur from cats and dogs “not bred or killed for fur production,” the parliament’s news service reported.
As Committee Chairwoman Arlene McCarthy of the United Kingdom said, “We want a ban, not a restriction.” In December 2003, the European Parliament called on the European Commission to draft a regulation banning the import, export, sale and production of cat and dog fur and skins.
Three years later – after a public outcry over evidence that cat and dog fur products were still entering the EU, despite a voluntary code of conduct adopted by European fur traders – the Parliament got its wish.
“The placing on the market and the import to or export from the Community of fur of cats and dogs and products containing such fur shall be prohibited”, stipulates Article 1 of the draft regulation proposed by the Commission. The Committee backed the thrust of this article by a large majority, with just a minor adjustment of the wording.
What they did not back, however, was the Commission’s proposed exception from the ban. As drafted, this exception would open up the possibility for the placing of cat and dog fur on the EU market provided that the fur (or products containing it) would be (a) “labelled as originating from cats or dogs that have not been bred or killed for fur production”, or (b) constitute “personal or household effects” introduced into, or exported from, the Community.
Rapporteur Eva-Britt Svensson of Sweden was adamant about doing away with the exception. If it stayed, it “would provide a gaping loophole, which would be ruthlessly exploited by traders of all future consignments of cat and dog fur, thus rendering the entire regulation useless,” she said. “I have not yet heard any serious arguments for exceptions or derogations,” Svensson said.
She said the background to the ban was reports about cruelty in the production of such furs and a strong public reaction with hundreds of thousands of people signing petitions to end the practice.
She characterised the practice as “cruel and extremely sickening,” and said the killing methods of many cat and dog slaughter houses involved prolonged suffering by strangulation with animals often being skinned while still alive. The fur is then used in toys, shoes and clothing without any labelling.
“There is no justification for the repulsive treatment of cats and dogs,” Svensson said. “This industry is built on torturing animals and such furs can be replaced by other materials. The wearing of animal fur for mere aesthetic purposes is disgusting. I therefore want to see the ban on cat and dog fur as a first step towards additional measures against the trading in other skins and furs, for example for seal skins.”
MEP Simon Coveney of Ireland said, “In excess of two million cats and dogs are slaughtered in China each year. The animals are kept in extremely cruel conditions before being skinned alive or being stabbed or strangled solely for their fur. The fur is often dyed and is fraudulently labelled to trick the consumer into believing it is faux fur or even mink.
29th March
by TOM SCOTT and RICHARD JONES of The Daily Mail Visit the Daily Mail and Leave Your Comments
The haunting sound of animal wailing fills the air.
Dogs are crammed so tightly together into tiny metal cages they cannot even bark. Yards away the blood-spattered carcasses of others lie on the ground.
This is Three Birds' Market in Guangzhou, China, officially described as a poultry market.
But, as these exclusive pictures show, many traders on the 60-acre site are doing brisk business selling dogs and cats to restaurants for slaughter and human consumption.
It is replacement for the Xinyuan animal market in the same city, closed down last year after international outrage over its treatment of animals and a possible link to the SARS virus.
But the brutality has not gone away. The new £33 million market opened at the end of last year and so far 900 businesses are renting space.
Cages of dogs and cats - some of them bred as domestic pets - are piled high and when an animal is chosen for sale it is bludgeoned with an iron bar until it is close to death before, being handed over to the purchaser.
"The customers want fresh 'live' meat," said Huang Lu Sheng, one of the stallholders.
"When the dog dies slowly there is much more flavour in the meat. Some customers want the dog half-dead.
"Then the taste is very strong and they can prove to their customers that the meat is really fresh.
"I do not care about the dog suffering. It is only to eat and the customer is the one that chooses how it should die.
"But most customers actually want the dog beaten to death and put in a plastic bag. It's easier to carry like that."
A teenager we saw holding a hollow metal pole was an expert in "not quite killing" the animals, we were told.
As his colleague held the dog's neck with long metal calipers to prevent them moving, the young man struck each dog with the pole several times on the skull. Each swing of the metal bar resulted in a dull thump and a desperate whimper from the poor animal.
The unconscious dogs, with blood dripping from their head wounds and mouths, were dumped outside the cage. Next they were bound with metal wire and strapped onto a motorbike or thrown into the back of a lorry.
Sheng went on to explain that butchered meat is also sold, with the dogs killed before being dipped in boiling water to remove their fur.
His stall is one of at least 30 at the market that specialise in dogs - although he would not discuss prices.
He sells around 500 a month but, having only been trading for two months, he expects business to increase as more customers hear about the new market.
Even in the absence of any animal rights legislation, Three Birds' owners are wary of plying their gruesome trade too openly, and advertising for the market refers only to poultry.
At the entrance, there are cages full of ducks, geese, chicken and wildfowl. But further inside, away from the public, are the stalls trading in cats and dogs.
The cats sell for around £1 per kilo wholesale. Weighed by the dozen on large scales, they end up in restaurants, where they are sold for around £1.65 per kilo to the public.
Restaurant owners and middlemen buy them by the sack-load to use in tiger, phoenix and dragon soup - a delicacy actually consisting of cat, chicken and snake.
Sadly there were many children in the market witnessing the cruelty.
Zhang Xiao Mei, the 12-year-old daughter of a cat and dog stallholder, said: "I do not want to see this. I hate it when I see my father killing these animals.
"I have nightmares about getting chased by dogs that have blood all over their tongues.
Around 10 million dogs are slaughtered for food annually in China where dog meat is said to increase the positive energy of one's body (the yang) and improve circulation.
Cat meat is also considered to be warming, with the stomach, intestines and thighs consumed for their perceived benefits and the rest of the animal thrown away.
The Three Birds' Market proves that despite China's bid to clean up its act before the Beijing Olympics next year, on the issue of animal cruelty it still has a long way to go.
Kennel Club Gazett Feb 2007
Dog and Cat Fur:
The KC has contacted all Crufts trade stand exhibitors to
inform them of this barbaric trade which takes place in China and has
asked them to limit or terminate, where possible, trading with China
until the Chinese govt reviews existing animal welfare standards
Humane Society urges crackdown on dog fur
WASHINGTON - A national animal rights group wants to put a group of fur retailers and manufacturers in the dog house.
The Humane Society of the United States asked the Federal Trade Commission on Tuesday to fine high-end retailers and designers of clothing that contains mislabeled fur from dogs, wolves and raccoon dogs. The group also would like inventories seized and perhaps charges filed.
“Consumers have a right to know what they are purchasing,” said Michael Markarian, the executive vice president of the Humane Society. “If they are truly getting a type of dog fur, they should be outraged.”
Posted by chinaview on February 24th, 2007 http://chinaview.wordpress.com/
China has become the world’s largest exporter of fur garments in just a few years. Many of the international fur traders, manufacturers, and fashion designers have shifted their business to China, where they can exploit China’s cheap labor and the absence of restrictive animal welfare regulations.
China’s new ascendance in the fur market—fur trade production and retail—comes with a heavy price for the fur-bearing animals. China apparently has no laws in place to regulate the confinement and slaughter of the raccoon dogs, foxes, minks, rabbits, and even dogs and cats, whose fur is responsible for a highly profitable industry. While conditions of fur farms in the West have been subjected to criticism by animal rights groups, Chinese fur farms and slaughter methods have been alleged to be far more shocking and brutal.
China’s fur industry has developed across numerous fur farms over the last 12 years. China’s farms number as many as 10,000, where 90% of the skins come from farms with fewer than 50 females, according to the China Leather Industry Association, cited in a report published by Swiss Animal Protection (SAP), Care for the Wild, and East International, (henceforth, called the “SAP report”) in January 2005 and updated last month.
Fur farms tend to be concentrated in China’s North East. Fur farms in Shandong province hold the highest number of animals, followed by Heilongjiang province and then Jilin province. Hebei province acts as the hub for the marketing of fur. At the Shangcun Market in Hebei province, 35 million fur skins are traded each year, which accounts for over 60% of China’s pelt trade. The above information is taken from Chinese industry sources cited in the SAP report.
It was in the Shangcun Market that a 14-minute video was secretly produced in February 2005 by the Swiss Animal Protection SAP which shows the skinning of raccoon dogs, foxes and other animals that are still alive and even struggling (see http://www.animal-protection.net. WARNING: Images may be disturbing to some viewers).
An investigative reporter from the Beijing News observed conditions at the Shangcun Market two months after the video was on the Internet and the report appeared in the online version, April 5, 2005. A spokesperson from the county’s Communist Party Committee propaganda department was quoted as saying that the live skinning took place seven or eight years ago but could not happen now. However, the reporter for the Beijing News confirmed that skinning alive of most animals at this largest of fur markets in China was still going on even after it had been exposed earlier.
Slaughtering the Fur Animals in China
The animals are immobilized by being stunned with repeated blows to the head, or by being slammed on the ground. The animals are injured and may convulse, tremble or attempt to crawl away, says the SAP report—this is also shown repeatedly in the video. The skinning may begin while the animal is conscious or regaining consciousness.
“Desperate and writhing in agony, animals conscious during these procedures hopelessly try to defend themselves even to the point where all the skin had been forced off …breathing, heart beat…and eyelid movements were evident for 5 to 10 minutes,” describes the SAP report of the video and photos.
The International Fur Trade Federation (ITIF), of which China is a member, deplored the SAP report, arguing that it made sweeping generalizations about the conditions in all of China. “It is wrong to portray all fur farming as the same in China,” said the IFTF. Some fur farms are run to western standards, said the ITIF. Conditions will improve for animal welfare in China when fur farmers come to realize that the quality of the pelts improve by employing western standards of animal welfare, and that through education, the situation will correct itself—this is the gist of the ITIF’s response.
Fur Trim in Fashion
The fur garments are most commonly sold in the U.S., Europe or Japan as fur-trim on coats, gloves, purses, toys, trinkets, and even furniture. By mixing fur with silk, wool, suede and leather, and employing new manufacturing processes, such as shearing and knitting, and new fashionable colors, fur has attained a new novelty and versatility, according to sources cited in a Care for the Wild International (CWI) report.
“Overall, fur was displayed in greater numbers than in previous years, coming in all colors, shapes and sizes,” commented a CNN report on fur’s popularity on runways during New York’s Fashion Week in February 2005. However, consumers may not have noticed the large increase of fur use in fashion today, because fur-trim is much less conspicuous than the expensive full-length fur coats worn in the past, added that most people would be too embarrassed to wear those today.
U.S. fur sales in 2003 were $1.8 billion, according to the Fur Information Council of America, cited by CWI. “China has become the leading fur garment exporter to the USA, accounting for 40% of total US imports in 2004—the equivalent of $7.9 million,” according to the SAP report. However, exact import statistics are difficult to obtain because fur trimmings are not specifically declared to customs, says the SAP report.
Protests Staged in Washington and 35 Cities Worldwide
The Anti-Fur Society of Washington, D.C.—a member of the International Anti-Fur Coalition—disapproves of the cramped wire cages that leave almost no room for the animal to move about. In these cramped quarters, the animals show signs of extreme anxiety and pathological behaviors, according to a report by CWI. The Anti-Fur Society of Washington, D.C. especially objects to the slaughter methods, including the skinning of the animals alive, “which makes China’s fur industry the most barbaric in the world,” says their press release. Their membership find these practices highly disturbing and horrifying.
The group is also appalled at the frequent use of domestic dog and cat fur. Although against U.S. law, a loophole in customs law and mislabeling permits their use in the U.S., they say. Fur items priced at less than US$150 are not checked by Customs for truthful labeling upon entry. The group contends that unsuspecting customers are purchasing items with dog and cat fur. They claim that even Burlington Coat Factory, Macy’s, JC Penny, Nordstrom, Saks and Barneys are selling dog fur as the fur from another species or even labeled as “faux fur.”
A UK-based charity, Care for the Wild International (CWI), reported that on Nov 20, 2006, the E.U. banned imports of pelts of dogs and cats. The CWI stated that 5,400 dogs and cats are slaughtered every day in China. “Chinese suppliers offered us entire sheets made of dozens and dozens of cat skins—all in matching color patterns of tabby, ginger, black and white or tabby and white,” says Dr Barbara Maas, CWI’s Chief Executive.
To protest China’s alleged inhumane methods for fur industry animals, members of the Anti-Fur Society of Washington, D.C. on February 13 carried a symbolic casket across the Taft Memorial Bridge, followed by a funeral for the animal victims of the Chinese fur trade in front of the Chinese Embassy at 2300 Connecticut Ave. This demonstration at the Chinese Embassy was one of many that occurred on the same day in over 35 cities worldwide.
The documentary of the gruesome slaughter methods in the Shangcun Market made by the Swiss Animal Protection is often mentioned by the protesters as graphic proof of the barbarity of China’s fur industry.
In Switzerland and several European countries, fur farming has been banned due to considerations for the humane treatment of animals. “In their lives and their unspeakable deaths, these animals have been denied the simplest acts of kindness,” writes the investigator of the SAP report on conditions of the Chinese fur farms.
The World Fur Industry
Global fur sales in 2005 totaled to $12.8 billion, which was a 9.1% increase from 2004, according to the International Fur Trade Federation (IFTF). In 1999, sales were only 8.2 billion and have been rising steadily every year for the last six years.
To get some idea of China’s relative place in the industry, in world trade mink production, China takes up 22.4% of the total, which places it behind first place Denmark with 30.3% of the mink production in 2005. Sandy Parker estimates 10 million mink pelts produced in China in 2006, up 25% from 2005. Also, China has become the world’s leading exporter of fox and raccoon dog pelts, according to the Sandy Parker Report.
Dog hair found in designer jackets 2007-2-24
21-Dec-06 Kennel Club pressure focuses on China The pressure exerted by the Kennel Club, working with MEPs Neil Parish and Caroline Lucas and welfare organisations the RSPCA and Dogs Trust, to ban the trade of dog and cat fur, has at last come to fruition with an EU proposal for a ban. DNA tests have shown that many items including coats, and rugs on sale in European countries are in fact made from real cat and dog fur, but are often marketed as ‘non-domestic animals’ or ‘fake’. An estimated two million cats and dogs are farmed and killed each year in China. The Kennel Club campaign urged all dog lovers and consumers of conscience to write to the European Commissioner, Markos Kyprianou, expressing their concerns. The KC also took up the issue directly with the Commission, and used their international network and influence, for dogs. The EU has now reacted to public and parliamentary demands. Green Party Euro MP Dr Caroline Lucas said: “Consumers across the EU have been unwittingly buying cat and dog fur for years. This new ban – brought about, in part, thanks to both Kennel Club and Green Party pressure - means they won’t be doing so in future, and labelling requirements mean anyone who does continue to buy fur will know exactly where it has come from. This should put an end to this cruel and unpopular trade across Europe.” Markos Kyprianou confirmed that he is acting for ‘ethical’ reasons and in response to a public outcry over the barbaric treatment of animals to provide fur for everything from rugs and coats to figurines. Mr Kyprianou said “The message we have received from EU consumers has been loud and clear”. The Commissioner is now confident that EU Governments and MEPs will swiftly turn his proposal into legislation. However, even with an EU ban in place, the trade will still exist in countries around the world, so the Kennel Club will continue to apply pressure on the Chinese authorities to end their trade in dog and cat fur, as this is a major root of the problem. By writing to the Chinese Embassy and urging others to do the same, and by asking its commercial partners to suspend trading with China, the KC hopes to see an end to this practice. Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary said; “The Kennel Club believes that the most effective way to influence China to put an end to these appalling practices, is through trade. The recent arrival of the super tanker into Felixstowe in Suffolk, bringing with it tonnes of canned dog and cat food among many other products, is a forceful reminder of the importance of the UK market. As consumers, we can have a great influence and we should all be thinking very carefully before buying any product made in China while these acts of barbaric cruelty go unchecked by the Chinese government. Letting the Chinese Embassy know that you will stop buying Chinese goods until this trade stops is an effective way of getting your views across.” For the Chinese Embassy’s address details please see below. The Kennel Club is the governing body for dogs, and promotes in every way the general improvement of dogs. Chinese Embassy : Mr. Zha Peixin
An animal advocacy group says its investigation has turned up coats - some with designer labels, some at higher-end retailers - with fur from man's best friend.
Some retailers are pulling the coats from shelves, taking them off Websites and even offering refunds to consumers.
The Humane Society of the United States said it purchased coats from reputable outlets, such as upscale Nordstrom, with designer labels - Andrew Marc and Tommy Hilfiger, for example - and found them trimmed with fur from domestic dogs, even though the fur was advertised as fake.
"It's an industry-wide deception," said Kristin Leppert, head of the society's anti-fur group.
The inquiry began after the society got a tip from a consumer who bought a coat with trim labeled as faux fur that felt real.
Leppert and her team began buying coats from popular retailers and then had the coats tested by mass spectrometry, which measures the mass and sequence of proteins, to determine what species of animal the fur came from.
Of the 25 coats tested, 24 were mislabeled.
Three coats - from Tommy Hilfiger's Website ShopTommy.com, Nordstrom.com and a coat from Andrew Marc's MARC New York line sold on Bluefly.com - contained fur from domesticated dogs.
The others had fur from raccoon dogs, a canine species native to Asia, or, in one case, wolves. Most of the fur came from China, the society said.
In response to the society investigation, Tommy Hilfiger stopped selling the fur-trimmed garment and said it was looking into the matter. "We were quite concerned to hear of this finding," said spokeswoman Wendi Kopsick.
Nordstrom called the 62 consumers who bought vests with dog fur trim to give them the opportunity to return them, company spokeswoman Brooke White said.
She said Nordstrom no longer buys fur trim products from the vendor, who had marketed the vests as faux fur.
Dog And Cat Fur Ban
Ambassador of the People's Republic of China to the United Kingdom
Chinese Embassy
49-51 Portland Place
London W1B 1JL
12-Sep-06
The Kennel Club is delighted that two British MEP’s have added their support to its calls to completely ban the import, export and sale, of dog and cat fur throughout Europe.
The endorsement of both Struan Stevenson MEP and Neil Parish MEP, both of who are heavily involved in the campaign to ban dog and cat fur throughout Europe, adds political strength to the Kennel Club’s call for such a ban.
While Denmark, France, Italy, Belgium and Greece have all banned the import of dog and cat fur, the UK has not found any evidence of the dog and cat fur trade within its borders. However, the Kennel Club understands that trade is prevalent in other European countries and is likely to grow until there is a complete EU ban.
The Kennel Club is urging all supporters of the dog and cat fur ban to write to the European Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection Markos Kyprianou, to express their concerns on this issue. A form of words is included below.
Said Caroline Kisko, Kennel Club Secretary: “The Kennel Club is heartened that two such prominent European political figures are working with the Kennel Club to call for a complete ban on the import, export and sale of dog and cat fur. The animals that are killed are skinned alive and then left to die: there is absolutely no justification for this barbaric trade to continue.”
Said Neil Parish MEP: “I believe the European Commission wants to ban the import and sale of cat and dog fur but it has faced a great deal of resistance from some industries. It is time for the Commission to listen to the overwhelming majority of people who want this savage practice banned immediately. "
Said Struan Stevenson MEP: “Evidence suggests dog and cat fur is being imported and sold across Europe. Often consumers are unaware that they are buying it, as labelling is intentionally misleading.”
Commissioner Markos Kyprianou
European Commission
Directorate-General Health and Consumer Protection
Rue de la Loi 200 / Wetstraat 200
B-1049 Brussels
Belgium
Dear Commissioner Kyprianou,
I am writing to urge you to enforce an immediate ban on the import, export and sale of dog and cat fur within the EU.
I am extremely concerned that it is legal to buy dog and cat fur within Europe and furthermore, how readily available it is to purchase.
I have strong ethical objections to the use of fur from companion animals, this is largely because methods of removing fur from dogs and cats involve extreme cruelty to the animals involved: usually skinning the animals alive, which leads to their death. I also have concerns relating to the appalling conditions in which these animals are kept while alive.
The Kennel Club is the governing body for dog activity in the United Kingdom among whose objectives is to promote in every way, the general improvement of all dogs. The Kennel Club is currently working with British Members of the European Parliament, who would be glad to assist you in any way they can, to help draft or enforce any proposal to ban the trade and import of dog and cat fur across Europe.
I am aware that you will be facing resistance from some industries to call for such a ban but as a concerned European citizen I am imploring you to listen to the majority of European’s who want an immediate ban on this savage, immoral and uncivilised practice.
Yours sincerely