Faux Fur Buyers – BEWARE!
November 6th, 2009I choose not to eat or wear animals.* When I purchase clothing, shoes or accessories, I carefully read the label to be sure that ALL the materials are man-made. If I see any traces of leather or fur, it immediately goes back on the shelf.
So you can imagine my shock and outrage when I saw a CBS news report warning buyers that fake fur may actually be the real thing. Apparently, clothing manufacturers (predominately from China) are skinning alive raccoon dogs and neglecting to mention this little fact on the label. In the past when there was no mention of the fur on a label I just assumed that because the item was so inexpensive there was no possible way that it could be real fur. 
My assumptions could not have been more wrong. In China the raccoon dog, which is in the canine family, are raised by the millions for their fur. It is cheaper to use raccoon dog pellet than to produce faux fur. Sad but true.
The news report also uncovered that some stores tag items as faux fur when it is actually real fur. Now it is possible that these stores may have been duped just like the rest of us. I say this is no excuse. If you buy and sell a product, you better damn well know what it is that you are selling! In a court of law, ignorance is not a valid defense.
In the future I will certainly be more cautious when looking at faux fur products. To spot fake from real you must examine the fur closely. Part the fur with your fingers, look close at the base to see if it is made of material or skin (ugh, just creeps me out to say skin). You may not always be able to tell the difference by inspecting it this way but, it's a start. In short, buyer beware.
*Okay, I will make the occasional exception to wearing animal materials but only if it's an emergency, ie: protection when racing a motorcycle, hiking in Antarctica, etc.