Home Add to Favorite Contact Submit  
           28 March, 2024


    
Category:  Press » Society

 

Diddy in Doghouse Over Fur Coat Fiasco

Popularity:
         Views: 1960
2006-12-25 23:05:20     
Humane Society of the United States

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) released the results of a mass spectrometry test today conducted on a Sean John Hooded Snorkel Jacket sold on Macys.com that was originally advertised as having an "imitation rabbit fur collar" and materials identified as "faux fur."

The jacket, part of a clothing line by Sean "Diddy" Combs, was labeled as containing "raccoon" fur, but has now been found to be fur from a canine species known as "raccoon dog." Macy's informed The HSUS that the company has pulled the mislabeled Sean John garments from its department stores and online shop. The group is urging all retailers to follow the lead of Macy's.

"First these jackets were falsely advertised as faux fur, and then it turned out that the fur came from a type of dog," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "This is an industry-wide problem, and our investigation demonstrates that retailers and designers aren't paying close enough attention to composition of the fur trim they are selling. It's especially problematic when the fur is sourced from China where domestic dogs and cats and raccoon dogs are killed in gruesome ways, even skinned alive. The safest course of action is for Sean Combs and other designers and retailers to stop using fur trim. That single act would solve the problems we have uncovered."

The news comes on the heels of other mass spectrometry tests conducted by The HSUS on a range of fur-trimmed jackets -- from retailers such as Burlington Coat Factory, Bloomingdale's, J.C. Penney, Macy's, and Saks Fifth Avenue, and from designers and clothing lines such as Baby Phat, Andrew Marc, MaxMara, and Calvin Klein -- revealing that most of the jackets labeled as "raccoon" or "coyote" from China in fact contain fur from raccoon dogs. Of the ten garments tested by The HSUS, nine tested positive as raccoon dog fur and were mislabeled, a violation of federal law.

Due to the lack of animal welfare laws and prevalence of garment factories, China currently ranks as the leading exporter of fur and supplies half of all of the fur products that enter the United States for sale. Animals documented being raised and killed in China -- in barbaric ways -- include dogs, cats, foxes, mink, and, of particular note, raccoon dogs, a species of canine whose fur resembles raccoon. An HSUS investigation in China in 1998 revealed that fur sellers in China will attach almost any label their customers want on their coats.

The Fur Products Labeling Act prohibits the advertising or sale of any fur product that is falsely or misleadingly labeled, and authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to seek criminal penalties, impose fines of up to $5,000 per violation and to seize mislabeled products.

The HSUS is also calling on Congress to amend the Dog and Cat Protection Act -- which bans the sale of dog or cat fur in the United States -- to include raccoon dog, since the animals are so inhumanely killed and the species is similar to domesticated dogs. Raccoon dogs are indigenous to Asia, including eastern Siberia and Japan, and are sometimes called Asiatic raccoons, Finn raccoons, or tanuki. "It would be jarring to the public to shop in a marketplace where dog and cat fur is banned, but coats labeled as 'raccoon dog' are still legally sold," added Pacelle.

Each year, over 50 million animals worldwide, such as dogs, cats, raccoon dogs, mink, foxes, bobcats, beavers, raccoons, and lynx, are killed for their fur. By supporting fur-free designers, sponsoring fashion design contests and advertising in industry publications, The HSUS's Fur-Free Campaign works with both consumers and the fashion industry to encourage decisions that reject the use of fur and instead promote warm and fashionable alternatives.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest animal protection organization with nearly 10 million members and constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active programs in companion animals, disaster preparedness and response, wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammals, animals in research, equine protection and farm animal welfare. The HSUS protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation, legislation, advocacy and field work. The nonprofit organization is based in Washington and has field representatives and offices across the country.

Specialized in: Humane Society - Cat Behavior - Choosing A Dog - Animal Testing - Hsus
URL: http://www.hsus.org
Print press release      Bookmark this page
Related Press releases 
CitySocialising Launch European City Breaks (Popularity: ): London, United Kingdom (21 December, 2012) – CitySocialising, a website that enables people to make friends online and meet new people in their city, announce the launch of their European city breaks - offering members the chance to travel more and meet new people.After receiving requests from members to start hosting socials abroad, CitySocialising are now hosting a weekend series of trips, travelling to a different European city every 2-3 ...
CitySocialising Launches New Members Nights (Popularity: ): London, United Kingdom, (7th September 2012) – City Socialising, a social website that allows people to meet new people and make new friends in their city, are calling on Britons to celebrate the new season by having a revamp of their social lives.With many people relocating at this time of the year or just vowing to make some changes and expand their social circle, CitySocialising are urging people to register ...
CitySocialising Launch 'Discover London' Campaign (Popularity: ): London, United Kingdom (10th July, 2012) – CitySocialising, a website that allows people to make friends online and meet new people in their city, have launched their Discover London campaign to bring visitors and local Londoners together this summer.The Discover series will bring visitors and local Londoners together to explore the social scene across North, West and South London, away from the expected mayhem of central and East London, and ...
CitySocialising Launches 'CS Celebrates' Socials (Popularity: ): London, United Kingdom, 8th March, 2012 - CitySocialising, a website that enables people to make friends online and meet new people in their city, have launched new ‘CS Celebrates’ socials.CS Celebrates is designed to bring international celebrations to the doorsteps of all of CitySocialising’s members. The leading socialising network believes that this is a great way to introduce members to new cuisine in a new restaurant, or encourage them to ...
2012 Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival of Greater Philadelphia March 23 - April 21 (Popularity: ): PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 29, 2012 -- What's noisy, delicious, dramatic, playful, inspiring, thought provoking, and pink and white all over? It's Philadelphia's own Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival, celebrating its fifteenth year this spring, from March 23 to April 21. The Japan America Society of Greater Philadelphia presents events for all ages, many of them free, throughout the region — from Center City to the Main Line, King of Prussia to Fairmount ...


Related Business 
Day Furs, Inc. (Popularity: ): We are the number one provider of luxury fur, shearling and leather outerwear for men and women in the Midwest. If you’re looking for that beautiful fur, shearling coat or leather jacket, browse our large selection of outwear for the most up-to-date trends in fashion. Our fur coats have exceeded our clients’ expectations for years now. We’ve been told constantly that not only do our fur, shearling and leather products ...
Fur Information: A Look at the Fur Industry (Popularity: ): Personal page abour fur farming and fur trapping includes rebuttals for reasons people give for buying fur. Photos and links to other anti-fur sites.
Chinchilla - Have fun with chinchilla (Popularity: ): Chinchilla coat is made from a one of a kind fur which is considered to be the softest fur in the world.
Henry Cowit Furs (Popularity: ): Henry Cowit Furs is a full service furrier located in Manhattan. Our online gallery is just a portion of the fur items we have in stock. We sell and rent second hand/pre-owned fur merchandise.Whether you're looking for a fur coat or jacket to brave the cold, a stole for a winter wedding, or accessories like ear muffs, headbands, and hats, we have a great selection for great prices in a ...
Faux Fur Throws (Popularity: ): We specialize in making Faux fur throws, faux fur cushions, faux fur throws, fur cushions, cowhide rugs, patchwork cowhide rugs, sheepskin rugs and hand-made furniture right here in the UK. We are dedicated to offer quality products for home decor at affordable prices. Our faux fur throws are all produced in the UK from the best quality fur fabrics sourced from various parts of the world.
Carolyn Furs (Popularity: ): Fur teddybears, fur accessory and fur coats to the general public at discounted and bargain prices.
Fur Council of Canada (Popularity: ): National, non-profit federation representing people working in every sector of the Canadian fur trade. This includes fur producers, auction houses, processors, designers, craftspeople and retail furriers.
Coat Stands and Coat Racks (Popularity: ): Coat Stands - Find a great selection of sizes, styles, materials and prices for coats stands and coat racks. It is our goal to ensure that your shopping needs are met and to provide you with the widest selection available online in an easy to operate user interface.
Fur-Free Friday (Popularity: ): Site includes anti-fur facts, photos, the history of the event and links to related sites. From CAFT (Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade) and LCA (Last Chance For Animals). Not updated since 1999.
Chinchilla fur jacket (Popularity: ): Searching for modern & chic fur coats or garments? Shop ML Furs, the leading source of luxury fur items including vests, jackets, mink coats and shearlings!