The Humane Society of the United States Investigation Reveals Sean John

Jacket, Advertised as 'Faux Fur' at Macy's, is Fur From Canines

    WASHINGTON, Dec. 22 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- 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. To learn about The HSUS's Fur-Free Campaign and
 what you can do to take action, visit our website
 http://www.furfree.hsus.org.
     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. On the web at http://www.hsus.org.
 
 

SOURCE Humane Society of the United States