Raccoon dogs are bred, tortured, smashed to the ground and skinned alive in China. The unspeakable methods used amount to animal abuse in the most inconceivable way possible and you might be unwittingly endorsing it by simply buying a so-called faux fur jacket at Macy’s, Bloomingdale’s, Burlington Coat Factory and dozens of other stores that simply ignore the Federal Fur Products Labeling Act.

It seems it’s easy for retailers to slide by the labeling clauses of the act, despite the fact unsuspecting buyers might be opposed to the slaughter, not to mention allergic to animal fur.

This has prompted at least one California leader to take action to change the system. Assemblywoman Fiona Ma, D-San Francisco, has followed in the footsteps of New York and four other states by introducing a law requiring  “conspicuous” labeling of all garments that include real fur. Ma announced the measure at a news conference joined by  Pierre Grzybowski of the Human Society’s Fur-Free Campaign.

Grzybowski says China’s lax animal welfare laws allow raccoon dogs to be raised by the millions and skinned alive and the fur is rarely disclosed on labels. He also paraded jackets, boots and other items purchased at Bay Area stores that contained rabbit and raccoon dog fur not listed on the labels.

The Humane Society fights against loopholes in existing laws which allow jackets trimmed with $150 worth of fur to be sold without labels. Since animal fur is often sheared and dyed to resemble synthetic coats, consumers are essentially being tricked into buying the real thing.

The need for labeling is clear, since we have no idea what we are getting from even the ritziest stores. For example, last summer, Neiman Marcus was caught misrepresenting a pair of Manolo Blahnik $1,495 boots – which it had advertised as “natural ocelot fur” – an endangered wildcat. Turns out the boots were actually common goat fur patterned with ocelot markings. If it had been ocelot it would have been a crime. Was it a crime that it was goat? Not yet.

Labels on clothes are as valuable as labels on food, which help consumers make choices for themselves. And the campaigns and state laws are moving retailers to shun fur all together. Among them is Overstock.com, which boasts revenues exceeding $700 million. It became the 100th on the Fur Free list of retailers and designers to commit to a no-fur policy.

Image: Jeremy Barwick, All Creatures; Democrats.Assembly

Image by: mandydale

The post Faux No: When Fake Fur Isn’t appeared first on EcoSalon.

Longtime animal rights advocate Doris Day is calling on us to pay special attention to the treatment of dogs, cats, and birds in our neighborhoods. April is Prevention of Animal Cruelty Month.

In her first post for Larry King’s page on CNN, the actress who lives in Carmel, Calif. says it’s the perfect time to ask for help with her campaign for humane treatment of our four-legged friends.

“You would not believe how much mail I receive and the terrible stories I hear about dogs chained and left for hours, crying all the time; or cats confined to the smallest spaces and left in the cold, or other tales of dogs, cats and birds that are too shocking to tell to humane and sensitive people,” she writes.

Day says many communities have formed effective neighborhood watches which look out for each others’ properties, as well as reporting any inhumane treatment they see to authorities. She adds that pets are more important than property and should be a priority.

“At the very least, animals should have shelter, food, water, protection from the weather and the company of their guardians,” she reminds us. “That’s the absolute minimum. I am asking you to make sure the animals near your home, school and/or workplace are well treated.”

Animal abuse is illegal, so Day suggests we become proactive as we would be with any crimes in our area.

She says if you hear barking and crying, check it out. It you hear the barking and crying repeatedly and think the animal is being abused – look to see what’s going on, and if necessary, report the problem right away.

Doris Day Animal Foundation is a non-profit organization established by the actress to further her goals of caring for the wonderful critters who so enhance our lives.

The post Doris Day Unleashes Plea for Neighborhood Pet Watch appeared first on EcoSalon.

Australia seems to be having a grand time winning its war against the toxic cane toad, killing thousands of them over the weekend during a “Toad Day Out” killfest in which the dreaded creatures were either frozen or placed in plastic bags filled with carbon dioxide. Kids took part in the “celebration” across northern Queensland, eating sausages and sipping cold drinks. Prizes were awarded as the toads (also called the Giant Toad or Marine Toad) were weighed.

According to a report by the Associated Press, The Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals praised the campaign to eradicate the poisonous toads since it was all done so very humanely. The widespread hunt makes sense, but you have to wonder about how appropriate it is to party while killing anything on a mass scale. Maybe you had to be there.

It appears the toads are an enemy of the farmer. The million-strong population of the amphibians has plagued crops, plants and native animals of the wide open grasslands. The report says many of the toads’ corpses will now benefit those very farmers as it is turned into fertilizer for their crops. That fertilizer production must be done carefully, as the corpses can still be toxic.

Problems with the toad date back to 1935, when they were imported from South Africa to control beetles on sugarcane plantations. But using the toads failed since they couldn’t jump high enough to eat the beetles atop the cane stalks. Instead, the toads – which can grow up to eight inches long – rapidly multiplied, threatening native animals and spreading diseases like salmonella.

The toads secrete bufotoxin from their glands, a milky-white fluid that proves toxic to many mammals, birds, frogs and insects and can kill humans if swallowed. They usually hunt at night and have been known to prey upon non-living entrees such as dog food and household trash.

Australia probably was impressed with the toad’s success at attacking pests in Puerto Rico. According to Wikipedia, the species was introduced there in 1920 to control the populations of white-grub, a pest of sugar cane. Within 12 years white-grubs were dramatically reduced. Toads got the credit, but there may have been other factors.

Local wildlife experts say killing a few thousand of the toads can ultimately wipe out millions of them, and the highly successful festival could become an annual event.

Photo: AP

The post Toxic Toads Killed in Humane Round-Up appeared first on EcoSalon.