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Cat & Dog Fur Ban

2002

USA Ban the Import, Export, Sale & Production

The US took the lead in banning the import, export, sale and production of cat and dog fur in the US in 2002 when evidence was shown that dog fur was being sold on parka jackets at the Burlington Coat Factory and on cat figurines on sale at Hallmark. Both retailers had no idea the items contained real fur.

With the loss of the US market, sales shifted to the EU and made the investigation to discover evidence of this vile trade in Europe intensify greatly. Humane Society International’ s (the international arm of Humane Society of the US) tireless work uncovered cat and dog fur readily on sale in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Denmark and Belgium.

The Dutch group Bont voor Dieren found cat and dog fur on a children’s toy ‘mouse’ and ‘cat figurine’ from China which when tested in a certified lab was found to be carrying excessive levels of chromium that can have an adverse effect on children's DNA.

Following a US ban and reacting to the HSI/Stevenson campaign, 5 EU countries unilaterally banned the trade in Italy, Denmark, France, Belgium, & Greece. Australia also introduced a ban.

It was identified however that through the ‘Shengard Accord’ countries where a unilateral ban had been introduced they could not stop cat and dog fur moving across their borders. The conclusion was made therefore that only a full EU ban would be effective in this case to totally seal the borders of Europe to this cruel trade.

Rick Swain, HSUS’s undercover investigator and a former Maryland police captain said in 2002:

Make no mistake about it, this fur is being sold throughout Europe. In China I have seen warehouses the size of football fields piled to the ceiling with dog and cat fur waiting to be exported to the West.