If you are one of the many Americans who are opposed to real fur, the problem is obvious: you bought "faux fur" and received real. Or—if you are ok with some types of fur—you thought you were purchasing one species but instead took home a garment trimmed with fur from a species of dog.

But even if retailers and designers were to stop falsely advertising and labeling raccoon dog fur today, consumers would still be left with less than ideal information about what is really on the jacket they're purchasing.

That's because, despite "raccoon dog" being this animal's common name (that is, the non-Latin name which is generally used), the Federal Trade Commission inexplicably decided in 1951 that this animal should be referred to as "Asiatic raccoon" in advertising and labeling under the Fur Products Labeling Act.

"Investigation Results Find Raccoon Dog Most Misrepresented Fur Sold in America" [Humane Society] (Thanks to Pierre!)
(Photo: hokkey)

Holiday Shoppers Beware: Six Major Retailers Selling Real Fur as Faux [Humane Society Of The United States] (* note: this is a different group than your local animal shelter)

Three designers even used domestic dog fur advertised as "fake fur" or "faux fur": Tommy Hilfiger, Joie, and MARC New York.

Now Beyonce's "House of Dereon" (one of the designers that used "raccoon dog" fur) has come out in support of a new bill to ban the sale of "raccoon dog" fur, and close a loophole that "allows a jacket trimmed with $150 worth of fur to be sold without a label. Because animal fur is often sheared and dyed to look fake, an unsuspecting consumer who thinks she is getting faux fur could be purchasing animal fur."

Read Tina Knowles letter inside.

Tina writes:

To whom it may concern,

The Humane Society of the United States alerted us when the group discovered, through mass spectrometry testing, that a fur-trimmed jacket from the Der on collection used Asiatic raccoon fur and that this animal is often killed in inhumane ways, and its use has led to industry-wide deception in the fashion industry.

Fashion is an important part of my life and my career, and through the House of Der on and Der on clothing lines, we hope to inspire a new generation of self-expression and confidence. While some of our designs include fur, we were surprised to learn that we could have little assurance in what type of fur we purchased.

We don't want to have to guess about what types of products we are using and consumers shouldn't have to guess either. All garments should be 100% properly labeled.

We endorse the Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act, introduced by Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA) and Congressman Mike Ferguson (R-NJ), and support the Humane Society of the United States on the call to Congress to enact this important animal welfare and consumer protection law as quickly as possible.

Tina Knowles

House of Der on

Another option would be to avoid buying items that have fur trim, as you now know it could be domestic dog fur. By the way, Tommy Hilfiger labels domestic dog fur as "Nylon Coyote," which sounds like the name of a band.—MEGHANN MARCO

HSUS Fur Investigation (PDF) [HSUS]

Diddy has apologized for the use of the material:

Sean Jean is not the only clothing label to use fur from China—where there are fewer animal rights laws. According to the Humane Society: "China currently ranks as the leading exporter of fur and supplies half of all of the fur products that enter the United States for sale. Animals documented as raised and killed in China—in barbaric ways—include dogs, cats, foxes, mink, and, of particular note, raccoon dogs, a species of canine whose fur resembles raccoon."

The Fur Products Labeling Act prohibits the advertising or sale of any fur product that is falsely or misleadingly labeled, and authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to seek criminal penalties, impose fines of up to $5,000 per violation and to seize mislabeled products. —MEGHANN MARCO(Thanks, malatron)

Major Retailers Are Selling Mislabeled Fur Coats [Humane Society]
Puffy Responds To Furry Controversy [Perez Hilton]

Previously: Sean John Sells Dog Fur Jacket as "Faux"

"First these jackets were falsely advertised as faux fur, and then it turned out that the fur came from a type of dog," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "This is an industry-wide problem, and our investigation demonstrates that retailers and designers aren't paying close enough attention to composition of the fur trim they are selling. It's especially problematic when the fur is sourced from China where domestic dogs and cats and raccoon dogs are killed in gruesome ways, even skinned alive. The safest course of action is for Sean Combs and other designers and retailers to stop using fur trim. That single act would solve the problems we have uncovered."

Sean Jean is the clothing label of Sean "puffy" Combs, P. Diddy, whatever. That guy. The above photo is of the type of dog used in the coat.—MEGHANN MARCO

Full Press Release inside.

Diddy in Doghouse Over Fur Coat Fiasco

The Humane Society of the United States Investigation Reveals that Sean John Jacket, Advertised as "Faux Fur" at Macy's, is Fur from Canines


WASHINGTON (December 22, 2006) - The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) released the results of a mass spectrometry test today conducted on a Sean John Hooded Snorkel Jacket sold on Macys.com that was originally advertised as having an "imitation rabbit fur collar" and materials identified as "faux fur."

The jacket, part of a clothing line by Sean "Diddy" Combs, was labeled as containing "raccoon" fur, but has now been found to be fur from a canine species known as "raccoon dog." Macy's informed The HSUS that the company has pulled the mislabeled Sean John garments from its department stores and online shop. The group is urging all retailers to follow the lead of Macy's.

"First these jackets were falsely advertised as faux fur, and then it turned out that the fur came from a type of dog," said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS. "This is an industry-wide problem, and our investigation demonstrates that retailers and designers aren't paying close enough attention to composition of the fur trim they are selling. It's especially problematic when the fur is sourced from China where domestic dogs and cats and raccoon dogs are killed in gruesome ways, even skinned alive. The safest course of action is for Sean Combs and other designers and retailers to stop using fur trim. That single act would solve the problems we have uncovered."

The news comes on the heels of other mass spectrometry tests conducted by The HSUS on a range of fur-trimmed jackets - from retailers such as Burlington Coat Factory, Bloomingdale's, J.C. Penney, Macy's, and Saks Fifth Avenue, and from designers and clothing lines such as Baby Phat, Andrew Marc, MaxMara, and Calvin Klein - revealing that most of the jackets labeled as "raccoon" or "coyote" from China in fact contain fur from raccoon dogs. Of the ten garments tested by The HSUS, nine tested positive as raccoon dog fur and were mislabeled, a violation of federal law.

Due to the lack of animal welfare laws and prevalence of garment factories, China currently ranks as the leading exporter of fur and supplies half of all of the fur products that enter the United States for sale. Animals documented being raised and killed in China - in barbaric ways - include dogs, cats, foxes, mink, and, of particular note, raccoon dogs, a species of canine whose fur resembles raccoon. An HSUS investigation in China in 1998 revealed that fur sellers in China will attach almost any label their customers want on their coats.

The Fur Products Labeling Act prohibits the advertising or sale of any fur product that is falsely or misleadingly labeled, and authorizes the Federal Trade Commission to seek criminal penalties, impose fines of up to $5,000 per violation and to seize mislabeled products.

The HSUS is also calling on Congress to amend the Dog and Cat Protection Act - which bans the sale of dog or cat fur in the United States - to include raccoon dog, since the animals are so inhumanely killed and the species is similar to domesticated dogs. Raccoon dogs are indigenous to Asia, including eastern Siberia and Japan, and are sometimes called Asiatic raccoons, Finn raccoons, or tanuki. "It would be jarring to the public to shop in a marketplace where dog and cat fur is banned, but coats labeled as 'raccoon dog' are still legally sold," added Pacelle.

Each year, over 50 million animals worldwide, such as dogs, cats, raccoon dogs, mink, foxes, bobcats, beavers, raccoons, and lynx, are killed for their fur. By supporting fur-free designers, sponsoring fashion design contests and advertising in industry publications, The HSUS's Fur-Free Campaign works with both consumers and the fashion industry to encourage decisions that reject the use of fur and instead promote warm and fashionable alternatives. To learn about The HSUS's Fur-Free Campaign and what you can do to take action, visit our website www.furfree.hsus.org .

Media Contact: Karen L. Allanach (301) 548-7778, kallanach@hsus.org