wouldn't it be easier to skin the animals dead?

Peta is evil anyway. Why do they think it's ok to ruin people's clothes, be vegans, etc.?

easier but not as fun. kidding of course. both are fun. kidding again... really this time.

@gokor: If PETA ruined anything of mine, I'ld punch them in the face and then sue them for the destruction of property.

faux fur is cheaper than real fur right? Hmmmmm...

What does PETA have to do with this story? They are not mentioned in either this site or the original article.

@SBR249:

It does sound like a good deal possibly.. I wonder the quality, as well as if in the long run it has a smaller carbon foot print v.s. actually imitating the fur.

I would imagine it would be difficult to literally skin animals alive. Though I do notice that PETA bothers old ladies, not bikers when protesting. (A debate for another time)

They're skinning puppies alive. I can't find any way to justify that, and I hate PETA with a passion...

@Stan LS: PETA != Humane Society. I consider myself eco-veg-friendly and even I think PETA are nuts.

grrr China again! :E

@Stan LS: Yup, it's easy to sue someone after you've physically assaulted them ;)

@youbastid: You know, as you physically assault them I'd say it's self defense after they physically assaulted you first.

actually, skinning animals alive is a way to make the fur look better, its sticks up straight permanently because of the adreneline that is going through the animal. sad and true.

I think the post title should read:
Faux "Faux" Fur Faux Pas

But then people's heads may explode...

Also, PETA = People for Eating Tasty Animals

that last line "skin the animals alive for their fur" like its supposed to tug on some heart strings. hello? how does society think we came to where we are? by hunting and gathering, which i could still do if it ever came to that. i would almost prefer to throw out the tech age and go back to little house on the prarie style.

PETA sucks. China's treatment of animals sucks. Real fur is awesome for cold winters. That's about all I have to say.

@num1skeptic: The quickest methods of killing animals (like slitting throats) would damage the fur. In these horrible fur farms they usually budgeon the animal so that is unable to move then skin it while it is usually alive and sometimes still consious. The PETA website (though I hate them too) will have video but I don't recommend viewing for anyone without the strongest of stomachs.

There are two "humane societies" in the states. One is the one people commonly associate with running local animal shelters and the other one is the PETA clone. The "other one" purposely tries to confuse people into thinking it is the original humane society.

On the issue of how places like China deals with fur. It makes me freaking sick. There was a bit on 20/20 about five years ago where they tracked some jackets back to their source and video taped the live dog skinning thing. It is just mind bogglingly disgusting and turned me off from every buying anything fur unless I knew the original source and their methods.

I really dislike PETA and their tactics. When I lived in CA they were really big into vandalism on any facility that had anything remotely to do with animals. They were also big into the throwing red paint on old ladies wearing fur coats at that time. You can disagree with someone's buying choices, you can even try to publicly shame them, but destruction of rather expensive personal property I don't think so.

@stoptextingme: Here where I work (medical school) some labs kill animals for research. Unavoidable in some cases. But it has to be humane and painless for the animal. Two methods I can think of offhand that wouldn't damage the fur are overdose of anaesthetic or dislocation of the cervical vertebrae (break the neck). There are other methods, of course, and which one is used for a given experimental protocol depends on the goal and on the animals used.

I don't see why those couldn't be done.

I think this completely hilarious. I really hope there is some self-righteous, uptight, bitchy vegan wearing this real fur somewhere.

I'm all for fur, leather, meat etc.

I think fake fur stinks. I mean, if you think the concept of fur is repulsive, why perpetuate the style with fake fur? Man up and wear the real stuff if you like the way it looks.

@AnnC: I think PETA is being talked about here because they're a straw man that the fur-wearers of the world can talk down on. And thinking about animals being skinned alive requires some serious mental gaming to justify the wearing of fur.

@num1skeptic: Times change. We don't see that as OK anymore. Besides, even simpler cultures recognize that animals should be respected and kill them in quick, ideally painless ways, and then thank the animal, or pray to its spirit, to atone for the death.

As far as the article and the claims yeah, those stores should be in real trouble for what they did. Or at least the manufacturer of the product telling those retailers that the product is faux when it is not.

However I think this has very little to do with PETA no matter how much I think they are nuts. Granted it may cause some PETA protests in the near future in front of some of those stores.

I love to laugh at the PETA people

*Oh NOs! It's PHUUUUUUURRRRRRR! We just CANNOT have any of that! Think of the poor puppies/pandas/bears/Yetis/beavers/minxes/lions/ewoks/wookiees that we'd be killing!*

I wonder what would happen if PETA got together with eco-fanatics and labor activists?

*Oh NOs, we can't wear PHUUUUUURRRR or plasticsssss and cotton is made by child labor! Let's all go buck naked :)*

@radleyas: On the other hand, why not indulge in a style you like without causing unnecessary harm? We use synthetic rubber for many, many applications where natural rubber isn't necessary so that it's not necessary to cause deforestation in Brazil and other areas where rubber trees grow (yes, rubber is a plant product!).

@SBR249: Yuck, no thanks.

Hahahaha! Take that animal hippies!

Wow, real fur for the price of faux (I hope?)... that's great.

I'm not a huge fan of fur..I think in many ways, it's done in a tacky fashion, and I actually feel bad for the poor animals because I'm not a believer in killing animals for anything but food. I don't really understand hunting (done for sport, not for food) but I do know a lot of hunters eat what they catch.

On the question of whether real fur is more expensive than faux fur and why they would market something as faux if it's real....a lot more people are disinclined to buy real fur for the animal-cruelty reasons now, whereas years ago real fur was the only classy way to wear fur.

Y'all should bring this debate on Jezebel. I'm usually outnumbered by the PETA freaks!

I'm not concerned with what PETA thinks, I'm more worried about Mankind for Ethical Animal Treament.

"Unless this is a nude love in, get the hell off my lawn!"

@Buran:

I'm familar with natural latex and the para rubber tree.

Why? Because I like fur and I like meat and I'm not going to be shy about it. I'm not going to deny the fact that animals suffer for my body and my dinnertable. Such is the nature of things. We're at the top of the food chain for a reason.

I'm not going to stop eating meat because there is a less cruel alternative (and tofu, tvp, tempeh are rather foul tasting, BTW). Why should I do the same with fur?

Some men hunt for sport,
Others hunt for food,
The only thing I'm hunting for,
Is an outfit that looks gooooooooooooood...

Seeeeeeeee my vest, see my vest,
Made from real gorilla chest,
Feel this sweater, there's no better,
Than authentic Irish setter.

See this hat, 'twas my cat,
My evening wear - vampire bat,
These white slippers are albino
African endangered rhino.

Grizzly bear underwear,
Turtles' necks, I've got my share,
Beret of poodle, on my noodle
It shall rest,

Try my red robin suit,
It comes one breast or two,
See my vest, see my vest,
See my vest.

Like my loafers? Former gophers -
It was that or skin my chauffeurs,
But a greyhound fur tuxedo
Would be best,

So let's prepare these dogs,

Mrs. Potts: Kill two for matching clogs,

See my vest, see my vest,
Oh please, won't you see my vest.

@Buran: This could easily be done if these people were not trying to mass produce fur in the quickest and cheapest manner possible with no concern for the pain and suffering of animals. They do not want to take on the time or cost necessary for proper euthanasia.

I have no problem with the use of meat and animal products if it is done in the most humane manner possible. Chinese fur imports and really most US fur farms do not meet this criteria.

Anti-PETA rants are tired, old, and boring. What is this, 1988?

I've got an Ollie North knock-knock joke, anyone want to hear it instead?

You could just as easily inject a chemical agent into the blood to kill them, as well as putting them in a CO2 box, or snapping their neck. I doubt that they actually skin them alive. PETA rarely uses true information, much like their recent ploy to close down OHSU.

@bohemian: So, which 'humane society' is the one linked to here? And where is the website for the other one? A google search only turned up this one and other local branches.

I do hope that the average PETA activist would not have the means to survive throughout history if they lived according to what they believe.

There was one point where hunting was the sole form of survival...salted meats last a lot longer than any fruit or vegetable.

Just another example of the people that would (in ordinary circumstances) be dead persisting through life and annoying everyone else. Hah.

PETA is a bunch of sensationalist jerkwads.

It appears that because some people hate PETA, it's okay for a store to defraud it's customers.

People have the right to assured that the product they are being, is what it's labeled as. I certainly would be furious if I bought an item labelled "cotton" and found out it was "polyester."

@heathermylove: The RIAA is a bunch of sensationalist jerkwads, as are many celebrities. But neither they or PETA have anything to do with this the fraud perpetrated by these stores.

@Monkey4Sale: No, they do. I've seen video of them nailing a snake to a tree and skinning it. Alive. Don't see why they couldn't do the same to a dog.

I'm not sure how this became an anti-PETA, 'Hey we love killing animals, it's fun!' thread. This is CONSUMERIST and it is pointing out how brands and stores are illegally mislabeling their products. But ...

There is absolutely no reason that as civilized society should treat animals in this way when there are alternatives if you are hoping for a certain look, and alternatives if you are hoping to stay warm. When companies manufacture products in China they have a obligation to uphold the legal and moral standards of our country (same with human rights and child labor) and we should call them on it.

Also, the true fact of the matter here is that China often uses dog fur. Earlier this year Sean Jean was found to have cocker spaniel fur. As much as you might be for hunting or eating meat (cows I would assume, and a completely different discussion) I don't think anyone here would advocate killing dogs for food or fashion.

Ok stores please label your fur as fur.

Thank you.

FOCUS, commenters. This story is about false labeling. PETA isn't even mentioned, so your vehement hatred of PETA is totally irrelevant.

Why do animal cruelty stories turn the best commenter forums into idiot parades?

@radleyas: I mean, if you think the concept of fur is repulsive, why perpetuate the style with fake fur?

I have never been able to figure this out myself. I don't even wear fur, but don't care if my coat has a fake fur trim. But to seek it out specifically? "I'm not cruel to animals...I just like to pretend I am!"

I think most people will agree that PETA is a terrible, misogynist organization. Clearly thinking people can recognize and work against cruelty without resorting to their tactics. I'd pay to see them spray paint a fur-wearing hip-hop entourage in Chelsea on a Saturday night. Sadly, they feel it's more appropriate to only target females.

On tofu: it has an unfortunate reputation because of some people who want to use it primarily as a meat substitute instead of preparing it as it's meant to be (especially in Asian cuisines). When paired with appropriate ingredients, it's delicious. Too much will give you gas (and man boobs).

I'm probably more adventurous than many when it comes to particular meats, and I've noticed people who outright "hate" tofu, tempeh, etc tend to be pretty mainstream in what they eat, period. This isn't meant as an insult, just an observation.

@NicoleItchy: Is dog meat tasty? I'm not sure because I've never had it, but it may be the tastiest treat you could imagine.

Anyway, I agree with the point of this topic, don't mislead your customers.

@NicoleItchy: I don't care if I wear dog fur. Or any fur. Let's face the facts here, if you wanna be hippie, producing the "alternatives" pollute the world much more than chopping an animal's fur off does.

Then you can eat the rest of it! Chinese must love cocker spaniel meat!

Going "poor poor animals, we should be more evolved!" is going against facts of life. Also, come on. If you kill a cow for a hamburger you should be able to wear their leather. Mmmm. Leather coats!

@hannerhearse: @