YOU MAY NOT KNOW THIS!
China produces 85% of the fur on the planet and has no animal welfare laws to protect animals. Fur animals in China suffer one of the most cruel and savage practices ever heard against defenseless beings. The hideous cruelty is hidden from consumers who may not know that each fur article comes with an unimaginable amount of agony. All this in the name of fashion.
The Swiss Animal Protection Agency's investigators found shocking footage from an investigation into the Chinese dog and cat fur industry which revealed the slaughter of millions of dogs and cats: Bludgeoned, hanged, bled to death, and strangled with wire nooses so that their fur can be turned into trim and trinkets. Their fur is often mislabeled as that of other animals and exported into the U.S, the European Union, and other countries, where it may be sold to unsuspecting customers.
BEWARE OF FALSE LABELS: Dog and cat fur is often falsely labeled to obscure the true source of the fur. Dog fur products have been sold as Gae-wolf, Asian wolf, Asiatic raccoon, China wolf, Corsac fox, Goupee, Pommern wolf, Loup d'Asie, Asian jackal, Dogue de Chine, Sobakigae-wolf, Mongolian dog fur, and Asiatic racoon, Mountain Goat skin, Sakon Makhon lamb, Kou pi, Dog skin plasters (sold in Chinatowns as a cure for rheumatism). Cat fur has been sold as Housecat, Wild cat, Katzenfelle, Goyangi, Mountain cat, rabbit, maopee, gatto cinesi, natuerliches mittel,and chat de Chine. Fur manufacturers in China told HSUS investigators they could sew any label they asked for onto dog and cat fur products to make them more marketable.
Since 1997, The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) has investigated and documented the international trade in dog and cat fur and skins. This undercover investigation has spanned the globe from source countries in China, the Philippines, & Thailand to retailers and wholesalers in the United States, Russia, and the European Union.
Over two million dogs and cats are slaughtered each year for their furs and skins, mostly in China and other Asian countries. Investigators documented 50,000 to 100,000 cat pelts stockpiled at animal byproduct factories in China. At least ten dogs are slaughtered to make a single coat, more if puppies are used. Up to 24 cats are slaughtered to make one fur coat. Dog and cat fur is used in trims, linings, hats, decorative figurines, and folk remedies. Skins are used in dog chew toys and shoe leather.
The slaughter of these animals is violent and pitiless.Cats are strangled inside their cages as other cats look on. Dogs are noosed about the neck by metal wires, and then slashed across the groin. The wire noose cuts into their throats as they struggle in pain before finally losing consciousness. In Harbin China, HSUS investigators documented a German shepherd still blinking and conscious as he was being skinned. At a dog farm several hours north of Harbin, investigators documented dead dogs hanging from hooks as others, still alive, awaited their fate outside the same cold, dismal room.
An investigator from Swiss Animals Protection/East International said:"Conditions on Chinese fur farms make a mockery of the most elementary animal welfare standards...In their lives and their unspeakable deaths, these animals have been denied even the simplest acts of kindness."
FUR ANIMALS SUFFER TERRIBLY REGARDLESS OF WHERE THEY ARE RAISED: China does not have the monopoly on fur farms' house of horrors. Several investigations made in US fur farms have revealed the same lack of compassion found in their Chinese counterparts; animals living in inhumane conditions and equally mistreated before being brutally slaughtered. Recent investigations carried out in Scandinavian countries that pride themselves for their "ethical" fur farms have revealed that there is nothing ethical about their fur farms. Photos and videos of animals living under horrific conditions are available for anyone to see, and which make words unnecessary. The mistreatment of fur animals is widespread, worldwide. Two recent investigations made in Polish fur farms in Poland, reveals that mistreatment to fur animals, their intense suffering can go beyond anyone's imagination. Below, you will find information on all that has been said above.
A LIFE OF MISERY BEFORE THEIR BRUTAL DEATH: Fur-bearing animals are killed by gassing, neck breaking, anal electrocution, clubbing, trapping and injection with poisons so as not to damage their pelts. These animals live horrendous existences when they are "ranch-raised" on a "fur farm", or are brutally killed in the hands of trappers. On ranches, they spend their entire lives in tiny, filthy cages and suffer tremendously, many become deranged until they meet with brutal deaths. The U.S. produces about 10% of the cage-raised fur in the world; 60 to 75% of the fur in coats sold in the U.S. comes from cage-raised animals, and 90% of cage-raised foxes are used in fur-trim. (HSUS 2004).
This 14 minute video is about an undercover investigation by the Swiss Animal Protection Agency, revealing hideous cruelty to cats, dogs and other fur bearing animals in Chinese fur farms. Very graphic!!! Click on the links to watch the video.
This is a 9-minute video, the result of an undercover investigation by "ANIMAL" in a rabbits fur farm in Portugal. This is a ground breaking project because there has been hardly any statistics on the numbers of rabbits used for fur, meat, vivisection or entertainment. Thus, this presents a new dawn for rabbits.