Think your clothes are fur-free? Think again...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

A loophole in labeling laws means that manufacturers don't always have to tell you if a garment is made with fur. Garments made with $150 worth of fur or less don't have to say so in the label.


Urge Congress to support the Truth in Fur Labeling Act and ensure that your clothes are really fur-free: http://go.care2.com/e/R1uS/AKDg/JBU9

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. Wouldn't I notice fur in my clothes?

Or is it woven into it in some way.

[Pithlet]

2. I wondered the same thing.

Trim could be an issue. Sometimes I'll see a trim and wonder if it is real. I would then assume that if it wasn't labeled as real fur, it wasn't. I had no idea this exemption existed. I don't care for the look of fur, in addition to being opposed to it, so I wouldn't even buy faux fur, but still. This is a loophole that should be closed, for sure. I'd like to see this extended to online businesses, too. I ordered a makeup brush online, and the description said nothing about fur. When I got it in the mail, I thought it looked and felt suspiciously like fur, and sure enough, the label mentioned fur. I would never have ordered it had I known, and I'm more careful about that, now.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

4. I would tend to look at fur trim, and assume it was faux...

And there are yarns that mock angora pretty well. I would assume that there are methods of utilizing fur and synthetics to manufacture hybrid fabrics.

[WindRavenX]

3. ugh

I didn't know this...

[flvegan]

5. AND they don't tell you that it's DOG fur, either

And there's a fine chance that it is indeed, dog (as in "man's best friend" dog).

BTW, GOG, I think that you just ran afoul of the Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act. Agent Mike is likely on his way to your house right now.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

7. Oh my god...

That turns my stomach to think of it. :cry:

I'm hoping that stupid Animal Enterprise Terrorism Act is swiftly reversed when the human beings take charge...

[Karenca]

19. Reading your post, as my puppy is (REPLY TO POST#9)

sleeping on my lap ...........:wtf:

That's seriously sick, y'know.

EDIT---WRONG POST--I MEANT TO
RESPOND TO THE POSTER WHO SEES NOTHING WRONG KILLING DOGS FOR THEIR FUR!

[pitohui]

9. dog is not an endangered species

in fact there is an over-supply

i don't see the problem with dog fur

[LeftyMom]

10. Humans aren't an endangered species either. I still wouldn't skin one alive and wear it's carcass.

:shrug:

Edit: Also, there's no such thing as an "oversupply" of dogs. Like human beings, they are their own entities and not commodities to be in short or plentiful supply. The resources needed to care for them may be in short supply, a condition which behooves us to find homes and to limit breeding, but it is not a justification for breeding more dogs and keeping them in cages only to bludgeon them and begin to skin them before they are even dead.

[pitohui]

17. humans aren't dogs, their "fur" is of pretty low quality

sorry, this just doesn't rate on my "to do" list

there are too many dogs, some need to be destroyed, might as well do something useful with them besides stuffing landfills

in any case we are not going to be able to impose our sentimental superstitions about dogs on asians

[LeftyMom]

18. They aren't euthanizing and skinning shelter dogs. Read the damn link.

They breed dogs (and cats and rabbits and foxes and wolves and...) just for their fur, raise them in cages and then skin them alive.
Nobody needs a coat made out of dog fur or any other kind. It's indefensible.

[pitohui]

21. fur is quite defensible, it's a valid link to our human history

i realize they are not doing this w. shelter dogs, because it's in china, and we in america do not believe animals should serve any useful function, our emotions don't allow for it, hence the hoo-ha of years gone by about shelter or abandoned animals being used for animal testing

nonetheless, breeding animals for fur or trapping an over-population of animals for fur is a perfectly valid activity

it's organic

IMHO your objection to fur is sentimental superstition -- a religious belief -- not based on any fact

animals bred for food, fur, or any other purposes should be treated humanely, and by pushing off the business into china we give up any control over that, but it is not by nature wrong to use and wear fur or leather rather than manufactured fakes, one day we are going to have to return to our natural roots and it would be nice if we did this with fewer rather than more contaminants from manufacturing unnecessary junk like fake fur and leather in our environment

[LeftyMom]

24. There is no humane way to breed, confine and kill an animal for it's fur.

Likewise there is no need to do so. Sure, fur is a part of our human past, but we reject a lot of things from our past that are simply out of step with modern sensibility. Nobody sane seems to lament slavery, animal sacrifice or whale oil street lamps. :shrug: In much the same way, we have warmer, easier to care for, more affordable, more ecological options now and no reason to kill an animal for warmth or fashion.

[WindRavenX]

40. well said

:thumbsup:

[Madrone]

27. By defending fur you defend the torture of animals.

period.

Watch the video at the link Flvegan posted. I ask again - is that okay?

[LaurenG]

51. Lefty mom and Flvegan you know I just LOVE you more and more everyday

You two Rock!

:* :hug: :loveya: :yourock:

[flvegan]

11. Click this link, look at the pics

http://www.furisdead.com/feat/ChineseFurFarms/

Tell me again that you don't see a problem with dog fur...

[GoddessOfGuinness]

15. It wasn't long ago that I read about Chinese pets being killed

because of a "rabies outbreak" or somesuch notion. After seeing this site, it makes me wonder what was really going on.

Your link should be forwarded to every member of Congress who opposes the free speech of animal rights activists.

[Karenca]

20. How strange.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

34. The problem I see is that people are purchasing dog fur without knowing it...

Some people are opposed to wearing fur of any kind. Others are opposed to certain kinds of fur, but don't object to leather products. Some are allergic to specific types of fur. And some don't care about any of them.

But the fact remains that when you purchase something to wear, you have a right to know what it's made of.

That's what this petition is about.

[jilln]

55. must... consume... everything... in.... path...

human... decency... be... damned!

[barb162]

42. or cat hair

there's some really disgusting animal cruelty in China re clothes-making and how they pull the skin off when the anmimals are awake and alive. BBC is pretty good at reporting these barbaric practices.

[China_cat]

6. I go nowhere without fur

two dogs, 2 cats (down from 4 and 6), all long-haired. I wouldn't feel dressed without it.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

8. Read Flvegan's post above...

:scared:

[Arugula Latte]

12. I can't click on it.

I know I won't be able to shake any images contained in that link, so I just can't do it ... :scared:

[flvegan]

13. I usually don't post images

that would shock/upset folks. Not without a warning anyway. That would not only be unkind, but also unfair.

[China_cat]

49. One has nothing to do with the other.

Nor does the fact that I have sent dog hair out to be spun into yarn and knitted it into socks unless you'd like to try to make the point that grooming them is somehow 'abusive'.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

56. No one's accusing you of anything...The point is that people have a right to know

what their clothing is made of. As long as your labels accurately list the contents of the material in the socks, then it's up to the consumer's discretion whether or not to buy them, for whatever reason.

It's no different from requiring accurate labels on food products.

[hedgehog]

14. I was going to post about how I'm always wearing fur from my dogs

and cats, just like China Cat. After seeing the video(just the first part; that was all I could take) I feel ashamed for making a joke about a serious matter. I eat meat and wear leather shoes, but there are ways to slaughter animals that respect them and don't cause such pain and terror.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

16. No need to feel ashamed...

But it'd be great if you'd sign the petition! :hi:

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[LeftyMom]

29. I think this is in the wrong place on the thread?

:shrug:

[mzteris]

22. I wear fur all the time

with three dogs and a cat - my whole HOUSE wears fur all the time!

(Who was that posted the other day about "why do you think they call it FURniture?" :rofl: )

[GoddessOfGuinness]

30. FURniture

Good one...

I have no problem with wearing fur like that; but to think that I might be wearing somebody's dog makes me ill.

[mzteris]

50. sorry if I was flip

- after I read through everything I realized this was probably too serious of a topic for a joke - but it was the first thing I thought of.

I have two long haired dogs and one short hair - black, white, brown, red - and the cat is grey - so it shows up on EVERYTHING!!

We're vegetarians so the thought of wearing "animals" is pretty noxious to us. We go to great lengths to find non-leather shoes, etc...

[citizen snips]

23. I own a couple of leather jackets

whats your opinion on that?

[GoddessOfGuinness]

31. You KNOW they're made of leather, right?

Suppose you purchased them thinking that they were made of synthetic material; and you were opposed to wearing leather? Wouldn't you view that as sleazy?

Or suppose you were allergic to fur, and purchased a coat which contained fur?

[Left Is Write]

33. I'm allergic to fur...

well, cat fur.

I keep the big guy anyway. He's curled up on my chair behind me right now. :D

[GoddessOfGuinness]

35. Awww...

:loveya:

[Left Is Write]

36. He's purring so loudly, I'm surprised you can't hear him from there!

The house has been chillier lately, and I'm loathe to turn up the heat just yet, so Dino's been spending a lot of time virtually attached to me, apparently snuggling up for warmth. I certainly don't mind!

[GoddessOfGuinness]

37. Link's been sleeping under my chin lately...

I'm not sure whether it's for warmth and affection, or it's because he can't stand the sound of my snoring.

[BarenakedLady]

25. Ugh

It is so hard to buy humane these days. I mean, it's getting a bit easier, but it is still so hard.

[LeftyMom]

28. If you can find the edge, anything that has a weave to it is fake.

Likewise, if you can take two or three "hairs" off and burn them with a lighter, synthetics will smell like burning plastic, natural fibers will smell like burning hair. But usually close examination alone is enough to tell.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

32. It is...

I think part of it is the fact that we're becoming more aware of just how bad things have gotten.

[Kali]

38. Isn't fur a premium?

I mean why would they hide the fact? Makes no sense - genuine fur is "better" than synthetic, why would anyone use real fur as fake fake fur?

I don't get it? I could see hiding what KIND of fur especially if as some of these posts seem to indicate, it is from what we in the west consider pet animals, but why hide the fact that something is real fur?

[LeftyMom]

39. Sometimes it's to hide that it's something Americans won't buy, like rabbit

or something that can't legally be sold here, like dog or cat fur. I read a while back that some fur trimmed gloves sold at wal-mart were in fact dog fur, I'm trying to find a good link on that though. (A little more digging has also turned up the tidbit that Burlington Coat Factory had dog fur coats a few years back.)

[Kali]

41. So what? Wally world was selling dog fur gloves and calling it fake fur?

I don't get it, is "pet" fur cheaper than synthetic? Usually real fur items cost MORE than fake, that is one of the selling points of fake, that it is less expensive.

[LeftyMom]

43. Sometimes it's sold as synthetic, sometimes as other fur.

http://transcripts.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0512/11/lkl.01.html

If I recall correctly, the gloves at WalMart were labeled as faux fur.

[XemaSab]

44. I'm still finding cat hairs

and the cat's been dead for a year! :cry:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

47. Loving reminders...

:hug:

[Kali]

45. I'm sorry Goddess, this does not make any sense to me.

I can see trying to force some kind of species label or something, but I just don't see sellers promoting real fur as fake? Why would they do that? Who is opposing this move? Every fur item I have ever seen for sale PROMOTED the fact that is was real fur. I am pretty sure synthetics are chaper and easier to manufacture. While I have seen fake fur promoted as being fake and animal-friendly it was definetly fake.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

46. We're not talking about the luxury furs that sell for big $...

Rabbit pelts can be valued at $5 a pelt. It is often used as trim for garments, and people assume, since there is no label specifying the content, that the materials used are synthetic. In addition, it is apparently not only rabbit fur that is being used to ornament clothing, but dog fur as well.

As you can see by the posts on this thread, many people will not purchase fur for ethical reasons. I would imagine that many more would be horrified to know that the fur trim on their boots came from a dog, even those who are not ordinarily repulsed by fur.

Efforts by activists to put an end to the fur industry have done considerable damage. Like tobacco companies, the fur industry will seek any means possible to revive their business.

Certainly it can't hurt for the garment industry to be required to accurately list the content of their clothes.

[Kali]

52. I think labeling is fine, and would be in favor of species identification

but I just don't see this as a big issue. I doubt if most hard core anti-fur types would even buy fake fur, and if they did they would know how to tell the difference.

I don't have a strong opinion on the wearing of fur. It seems pretty vain and obnoxious to me. I think the industry will die on it's own eventually anyway. Someone on this thread did have a couple of interesting points I had never thought about however, and that is the issue of declining petroleum resources for creating synthetic fabrics - and the potential for organic/natural materials. Most think of hemp or cotton but leathers certainly could be considered in the catagory. Funny I never thought of that considering I rase cattle!

The other thing she mentioned is pretty harsh but if you really look at it unemotionally is the use of products from euthanized animals. It is pretty distasteful on the surface, but there is a point about wasting of resources there. The USHS is doing a campaign right now to collect old furs for use in nest/bed material for caring for sick, baby animals so.....there is a strange circle to think about.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

53. Looking at it unemotionally, I'd still have to say

there's nothing merciful about the way the cats and dogs are being destroyed. And all the resources are not being used. Check out the link that Flvegan provided above.

As I said, my main issue is with the fact that they are not honestly labeling their product. If you can tell real fur from fake, that's great; but a lot of people either can't or don't really think about it unless they see it listed among the materials.

I am strongly opposed to withholding any information that is important to consumers.

[TheBaldyMan]

48. I have worn both fur and fake fur in the past and can tell the difference

I only wear fake fur nowadays. The manufacturer would have to use it as an unexposed lining to dupe me, that would kind of defeat the point of wearing fur.

I am deeply disturbed by the return to real furs on the fashion catwalks. I thought all the supermodels were for ethical treatment of animals. Sometimes it seems that fashonistas do have the memory of a goldfish.

[GoddessOfGuinness]

57. Not everyone is as astute as you are...

And I suspect there are some who would think twice about purchasing an item that was labelled "contains fur", who might otherwise not even think of fur content.

[undeterred]

54. My clothes are covered with dog fur, unless they're new.

Its a given.

[Kali]

58. I read the transcript of the Larry King show on this that Lefty Mom posted

Dog and Cat fur are already banned in this country and were at the time of the interview. If the folks doing the investigation are to be believed nobody was selling it here and they couldn't find any when they investigated. The main issue of the interview seemed to be that the EU had not banned cat and dog fur at that point yet. Wow the US was ahead of the game on this type of issue? I always hear the opposite. So the scare tactic of trying to imply there is pet fur at issue was FALSE. I still feel the legitimate labeling of species is no problem (as apparently the US fur industry DOES), but as is often the case with extremist rhetoric, it often leads to credibility problems with those that engage in it.

[StrongbadTehAwesome]

59. what about this?

http://www.vipfibers.com/

You can make a sweater spun from YOUR OWN dog's hair! :rofl:

[smalll]

60. It gets worse - most linings in clothing these days are made of HFCS -

that's right, high fructose corn syrup -- transformed from goop into a highly flexible solid, extra-dense and highly concentrated, by the application of extreme pressure (just somewhat below the pressure needed to create a diamond.) Every time you get rained on or sweat into your clothes, you ingest HFCS calories by osmosis through your pores. Look it up!