But even if retailers and designers were to stop falsely advertising and labeling raccoon dog fur today, consumers would still be left with less than ideal information about what is really on the jacket they're purchasing.
That's because, despite "raccoon dog" being this animal's common name (that is, the non-Latin name which is generally used), the Federal Trade Commission inexplicably decided in 1951 that this animal should be referred to as "Asiatic raccoon" in advertising and labeling under the Fur Products Labeling Act.So how do you keep from buying a dog fur coat? Well, here's the Humane Society's list of companies that have claimed they do not sell real fur products.
"Investigation Results Find Raccoon Dog Most Misrepresented Fur Sold in America" [Humane Society] (Thanks to Pierre!)
(Photo: hokkey)
To everyone saying that all species of animal are the same: If you are promised beaver and get fish....you would probably rescind your comments!
@satoru:
Or...you kill an animal quickly because you're not a sadistic fuckoff....
Tell that to Steve Irwin!
]]>@22rifle:
I hear what you're saying, but I really don't agree with skinning animals just for the sake of fashion. So for me I'm mainly upset at the barbarianism (if that's even a word lol!) BUT I don't necessarily like the fur trade either. Unless of course someone HAS to kill for clothing.
@22rifle:
This practice is well documented all over the internet. take five minutes and look it up. it's called google. And you obviously misread my comment. I have no problem with the fur industry that practices humane standards. I have a SERIOUS problem with these fucking people. If I saw someone skinning animals alive like that, I'd have very little problem putting a bullet in their brain.
So may I assume you restrict all your material possessions to items you have a strict need for?
Why does your carbon footprint matter to begin with?
I don't understand the correlation between wearing fur and other life forms. Can you explain that for me?
]]>Sure, they were originally very useful for clothing and fur, back when our ancestors had no other option. Nowadays we have so many alternatives to fur/leather that it is a luxury item. We don't NEED that mink coat or leather bag. We don't NEED a fur stole to keep us alive through a harsh winter.
In the modern world wearing fur is the equivalent of a big,fat middle finger to all other lifeforms that share our planet with us. I rank it up there with driving around in gas-guzzlers like the Hummer and not giving two shits about your carbon footprint.
]]>This video makes me mad. But I heard the other day of people who will use tools to reach up inside a pregnant female to cut the baby animal up in pieces and yank it out. That is barbaric too.
]]>Fur is not a corpse. And it is not road kill.
Animals were given for our use.
Grow up and quit basing your life on emotions fed by people with a bad agenda.
]]>Even if it says "Faux Fur" I don't buy it because I don't know the "faux" is. It baffles me to think that skinning a "racoon dog" and calling it Faux Fur isn't the same as skinning a chinchilla or fox and calling it real.
It's. all. real. fur.
]]>Some elucidation from Wikipedia:
Raccoon dog - [en.wikipedia.org]
Canidae - [en.wikipedia.org]
Really, it's just annoying that it has to be named after two creatures that it's not -- we should just call them tanuki and be done with it.
So, consumerist readers, how do you feel about the prospect of tanuki fur bring advertised as raccoon fur? Does that change the issue some?
]]>OMG...I really wish I hadn't watched that...those poor creatures. I mean, I'm not all pro PETA or anything but holy crap!! HOW and more importantly WHY would anyone do that? I don't care if it's a dog, racoon, or a freakin GOLDFISH! You just don't treat any living creature like that...freakin heathens...at least kill them humanely before you throw them against the ground, bash their heads in, or skin them alive!!! I'm so incredibly pissed right now...
]]>I guess because it's a "dog" people are making a big shit about it. But I don't see too many people, if any at all, complaining about the inhumane slaughter of red meat, pork, or poultry. And pigs are known to be very emotional animals. So if its cute, fluffy or somewhat domestic, people love to have a shit fest about it. I just hope your wise enough to duck when shit hit's the fan.
]]>If there's an animal rights activist who buys fur trimmed coats, I would love to see him/her buy this coat, thinking its "faux fur", and unwittingly purchase "raccoon dog". But I doubt there is… i can dream though...
]]>I so don't get fur. It's a fucking corpse, people, WTF is wrong with you. YOU'RE WEARING ROAD KILL.
]]>I generally don't like fur clothing because the rest of the animal goes to waste.
I have heard before that these animals are skinned alive and I find that repugnant. Seeing the video above disgusted me. I can't believe you would skin something alive like that. The prolonged, unnecessary pain that poor creature had to go through to be trim on some kids hooded jacket...unbelievable!
The food chain is a fact of life, I'm fine with that. I'm not down with wasting the carcass of an animal to get its fur and skinning it alive.
If I had to go, I'd want it to be quick.
]]>"peta doesn't argue against the killing of chickens by quickly chopping off their heads"
That is incorrect. PETA is opposed to any killing of any animal no matter the cause. If it came down to a choice between you or a fox dying they would prefer you to be the one that died. Literally. PETA is evil incarnate.
]]>It is only plain and simple to the plain and simple.
]]>What kind of canine is that?
What is it's fur used for?
Where was this video taken?
Who took the video?
What was the animal actually used for?
Who was the person doing the skinning?
Horrible treatment for sure, but I don't know if there is a connection to the fur trade or not without the answers to those questions.
]]>All fur is murder?
So the fur on my pet dog is murder?
The fur on the coon I saw a couple days ago is murder?
The fur on any given "beaver" is murder?
What an idiotic statement you made.
]]>Hardly any humans are ever food for bigger, faster animals.
They're food for smaller, slower animals. Much smaller, much slower.
]]>There have been many instances in which PETA has picketed the humane society and personally harrassed (and solicited harrassment towards) Humane Society administrators.
]]>for food, sure, but humanly.
for fur? plain stupid. But hey, look how we treat each other. why would we treat animals with any more compassion and care?
And yes, I fall into the camp that says that all fur is murder.
]]>Raccoon dogs:dogs::lemurs:monkeys
Anyhow, it isn't dog fur. These are not dogs...like not even some other species of dog, let alone domestic dogs. And there isn't even a conservation issue...there are endangered local populations, but as a species, they're doing fine.
]]>@satoru: There's a difference between killing a chicken or other animal for food, either by head chopping or brain prod (cattle), and slowly skinning an animal alive and then just leaving it there to die of exposure and trauma. That's what this particular industry does differently than almost any other animal product industry (save maybe the foie gras industry where they force feed ducks all day). see the video above.
]]>@Narockstar: If I remember correctly, it's to avoid damaging the fur or some such nonsense. I guess a medicinally induced death is not cost effective. So they just skin them alive and leave them in a heap. The video I posted isn't even the worst of them. If you care, you can find others on youtube-all 'raccoon dogs' in china. Given their human rights abuses, why would they treat animals any better?
]]>this is a matter of false advertising. they advertised raccoon and instead you're getting another species. although if you're buying fur i can't see why you care too much where it's from because in all likelihood, it was farmed and treated much the same way as any other farmed animal.
ps - she shouldn't kill chickens in the kitchen they'll shit everywhere.
]]>Their argument is fallacious anyways. They're unstated premise is that they're against any type of fur. They're just picking this because its a 'dog raccoon' which gets on people's never because its a dog. I mean a wolf is an undomesticated dog, but it doesn't invoke the kind of response as a dog, where you somehow imagine them killing Lassie.
]]>It's coming right for us!!!
]]>Wait. So if I wear one of these coats, can I fly and gain an extra hit point against Goombahs? If so, King Koopah better watch out.
]]>@mthrndr:
I'm not against fur, but I couldn't watch that video past about 30 seconds. That's completely unnecessary cruelty. There is no reason that animal couldn't be killed before skinning him.
Regarding this statement in our webstory:
"Or--if you are ok with some types of fur--you thought you were purchasing one species but instead took home a garment trimmed with fur from a species of dog."
For whatever reason, there are a lot of consumers out there who do think it's okay to mistreat or kill one type of animal but not another. There are also people with allergies to specific species who might seek to avoid all fur of that type--rabbit, for example.
So, this is really just pointing out additional ways all these labeling problems affect consumers, and not just consumers against fur.
-Pierre
www.humanesociety.org/furfree
I am neither for nor against fur (other than the fact that I think it's generally an ugly fashion statement). But anyone with a conscience should be appalled at what these people do. At least humanely terminate the animal before skinning it. View at your own risk.
]]>I love when self-serving organizations such as PETA or the Humane Society come out with some crap. I have a question, why does the Humane Soceity not switch from a political money making organization and use some of the $100+ million in assets and actually help animals in shelters. I guess it is more profitable to issue press releases than to actually do anything useful.
]]>SirWired
]]>I don't get this. Why would you be okay with the skinning of one type of animal, but not another? We only want to save the cute ones?
]]>