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

9. How Cat and Dog Skins are Used...

In Germany investigators talked to the president of a company dealing in cat furs and skins. The company openly uses cat skin products as rheumatism aids. They make bandages, pulse warmers, and a variety of so-called "medicinal" products. Investigators also found dog skins sold in Germany as orthopedic products.


Trucks transport dogs crammed into cages on their terrifying journey to slaughter.
The trip from villages across Thailand can last for up to three days while the dogs
suffer without food, water, or shelter from the elements.
Elsewhere, dog and cat skins are not quite so visible. Just as labeling is a problem with fur, especially fur trim, knowing what kind of leather is being used in a product can be difficult or impossible. Dog skin may be declared as lamb skin, mountain goat skin, or even "special skin."


Rawhide chew sticks are many a dog's favorite treat. But chew sticks from Thailand may contain bits of skin from a variety of animals—including domestic dogs. These products are sold in pet supply stores throughout the United States.
Some such products are undoubtedly sold in the United States. In fact, investigators found dog skin plasters in New York's Chinatown, sold in pharmacies as a cure for rheumatism. In addition, U.S. travelers to Europe, Asia, and elsewhere may run the risk of unwittingly buying dog and cat skin products.

Investigators have been told that dog and cat skins are used for:

Apparel

Bed sheets

Car upholstery

Drums and musical instruments

Handbags and small leather goods

Golf gloves

Gardening gloves

"Medicinal" and orthopedic products

Sporting goods

In a particularly grisly twist, the skins of brutally slaughtered dogs in Thailand are mixed with other bits of skin to produce rawhide chew toys for pet dogs. Manufacturers told investigators that these chew toys are regularly exported to and sold in U.S. stores.

IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE FOR INVESTIGATORS to save the dogs bound for slaughter if they were to avoid detection. But they spotted one dog in a truck who seemed to symbolize the heartbreak of the entire abominable trade. He was a small black dog, not much more than a pup. He wore a collar, with a heart-shaped pendant bearing one word: Love. Was that his name? Was he some child's beloved pet? The investigators bought the dog, took him to their hotel, gave him food and water, took him to a veterinarian, then found him a safe and loving home, one far away from the horrors of Sakhon Nakhon.

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