Have you ever seen a puppy as cute as this one? This little Golden Retriever is for sale online. If a family doesn't buy this puppy, what do you think will happen to it? It will most likely be given to a pound or pet store. Are puppy mills an option? Well according to KDKA, a Pittsburgh news channel, dogs and cats are being used for their skin and fake fur found all throughout the world in stores.
As a person who is against puppy mills and the abuse of any animal, I took the time of looking it up online at a website called Voice 4 Dogs. “Each year mainly in China ( but also Thailand and the Philippines) millions of dogs and cats suffer cruel brutal lives and unspeakable terror and pain before being slowly tortured to death, killed solely for their fur and skins for a merciless trade…this horror must be stopped, suffering dogs and cats desperately need your help, and within this web site you will find out how you can help to ban the trade in cat and dog fur in Europe.” They live in inhumane conditions similar to puppy mills, and maybe even worse.
The mission of this website is to abolish the trade of cat and dog fur and skins. “One cat fur coat alone requires the killing of up to 24 cats. 12 to 15 adult dogs are killed to manufacture each coat made from dog fur, and a horrific 40 or more if puppies or kittens are used.” It’s common to see stolen family pets and homeless cats and dogs used in the brutal action. These cats and dogs fur goes to accessories such as: coats, fur trimmed clothing, hoods, hats, gloves, stuffed animals, blankets, toys, fur pom poms on sweaters, and trim on jeans etc. Along with those, the fur is also found as children’s dyed hair-bows and items such as novelty key rings and hair accessories.
Because the thought of using dog and cat for fur is so disturbing, the labels will actually give false information about what is used to make the garment. The website makes it clear:
Dog Fur - may be Labeled As: Gae -wolf (note: Gae is the Korean word for dog) Sobaki, Asian jackal, Gou -pee, Goupee, Kou pi, Gubi, China wolf, Asian wolf, Pommern wolf, loup d' Asia (wolf of Asia), Asiatic raccoon dog, Corsac fox, Dogues du Chine.
Cat Fur - may be labeled As: Housecat, Wild cat, Katzenfelle, Rabbit, Goyangi, Mountain cat.
As of right now, “Voice 4 Dogs has found domestic dog fur on sale in the UK. This is the result of an extensive series of tests conducted on the fur by means of MALDI – TOFF mass spectrometry. Tests proved positive for domestic dog fur, found in a fur trimmed leather hat. The shop from which the item had been purchased claimed that their supplier had informed them that the fur was mink. This research proves that producers fraudulently substitute cheaper dog hair for more expensive fur such as mink. It provides evidence that the skins of domestic dogs and cats are indeed for sale on Britain's high streets. Voice 4 Dogs therefore urges the UK government to make good on its promise to ban dog and cat fur imports into this country when such fur is proven to be on sale. We presented clear evidence backed up by full laboratory reports to DTI officials and have been liaising with them about a strong, proactive UK stance on this issue within the EU. Other countries have already shown that these products are available elsewhere in the EU. However, according to the Department of Trade and Industry Voice 4 Dogs is the only British group DNA testing products in the UK for containing cat and dog fur.
Help make a difference and visit the website Voice 4 Dogs and make a donation. Before you visit the website, prepare for the graphic images that you are about to see.
