Consumer Info: Investigation—What is that they're wearing?

6. The European connection...

Although the same countries that kill cats and dogs for their fur produce finished garments, the success of the fur trade depends on exporting pelts to other countries. Investigators found evidence of the use and sale of dog and cat fur in Germany, Italy, and France. And from those countries, fur products are distributed worldwide.

	Shoppers in Germany don't have to go far out of their way to buy fur. These cat fur pelts, jackets, and throws were on display at a gas station.

GERMANY
Reports in the European press pointed to significant imports of cat and dog fur into Germany. Investigators contacted exporters, manufacturers, and auction authorities in an attempt to track the use of dog and cat fur; they found that dog fur, known in Germany as gae-wolf, is widely available as jackets and coats, particularly at the lower end of the German fur market. It isn't clear, however, whether consumers understand that gae-wolf means "domestic dog."

GAE-WOLF IS A POPULAR FUR for jackets and coats in Germany. But how many Germans know that gae-wolf is actually dog fur, in all likelihood imported from Korea or China where dogs are bred and slaughtered under the cruelest conditions? How many Germans know that the fur they're wearing is most often that of their own revered breed, the German shepherd?

Investigators found gae-wolf garments for sale over the Internet on a German Web site. They also learned that at just one sale in April 1997, a German fur auction house offered 10,000 dressed Korean gae-wolf furs. According to auction authorities, the fur was from dogs killed the previous November and December. Most of the dog furs sold at the auction were purchased by a Belgian furrier. Proving the point once again that dog and cat fur is just part of the global fur industry, investigators noted that other furs available at the same auction were fox (110,000), mink (85,000), and an assortment that included muskrat, bobcat, badger, and nutria. Auction house employees said some of their customers come from the United States, though most are from Great Britain, Germany, Italy, and Spain.

A GERMAN IMPORTER told investigators that export of dog and cat fur goods to the United States is not a problem, explaining, "It is just a question of the declaration [what the product is called]." This is another testament to the apparently common practice of mislabeling products to disguise the use of dog and cat fur.

Investigators also met with the owner of one German company prominent in the cat fur trade. The company obtains cat furs from China and has cat fur garments manufactured in Greece. The owner estimated that at least half a million cat pelts change hands each year in the international fur trade. The company used cat fur and skin for gloves, waistcoats, foot muffs, and a variety of products for the treatment of rheumatism, including bandages and bedwarmers.

The cruelty begins in China and other countries with the killing of dogs and cats for their fur and skins. But the end products are sold all over the world. In the left-hand photo, a "fur and fashion" show in Frankfurt at which dog and cat fur garments are displayed along with furs made from a variety of other animals. In the photo on the right, the home of an Italian company that investigators say imports dog skins from China.

WHEN CAT FUR is dyed it is not easily distinguished from other furs. —President of a German company prominent in the cat fur trade.

Italy
For years Italy has imported dog furs and skins from China and elsewhere for the manufacture of fur linings and insoles for shoes and boots, as well as other products. In the early 1990s, one Italy-based ski equipment company, Tecnica S.p.A., gained notoriety for using China-exported dog fur in boot linings. These boots were sold in the United States. At least one other Italian leather-good manufacturer was identified by investigators as importing dog pelts from China.

France
France may be a country of dog lovers, but investigators found that dog fur imported from China is used to make jackets sold mainly in the French Alps. Documentation shows that one French company had 2,000 dog fur plates on hand, with another 1,000 expected to arrive within the month. A pricing sheet from the company shows that in addition to dog fur (which is called loup d'Asie, or "wolf of Asia"), the company offers furs and skins of goat, pony, reindeer, and antelope.

The Price of Suffering At a German auction, one Korean dog fur (German shepherd) was $9. At one Chinese company dealing in "animal by-products," a fur "plate" of 6 to 8 gray or orange cat pelts may be purchased for $21. Two plates make a short jacket. Three plates make up a coat. That's 12 to 16 cats who suffer and die for each jacket, 18 to 24 cats killed for each coat. Cat-head plates are also available at this factory—36 cat heads per plate, at a price of $15. A Beijing company declared its ability to export 20,000 cat skins as well as 20,000 dog skins between January and March 1998. In January the company had in stock the pelts of 50,000 cats and 50,000 dogs. Gray and orange cat pelts were $2.60 each; gray and yellow dog pelts were $8.50 each. Gray and orange cat skins at one Chinese company were priced at $2.60 each; gray and yellow dog skins were $8.50 each. A fur plate of 6 to 8 cats was priced at $21 at one Chinese company. At one Chinese factory, one cat skin cost $50; at another, $2.09; in Beijing, $2.15.

Contents
Previous: 5. Death by the numbers...
Next: 7. The Skin Trade... Philippine Cat Slaughter