The Humane Society has just released the results from another round of tests on fur-trimmed products from national U.S. retailers, and in four cases they found that the advertised “raccoon” fur was actually “raccoon dog,” a canine indigenous to Asia. This is one case where the FTC is squarely to blame for creating the problem in the first place, because in 1951 they decided that trade trumps scientific classification and declared “that this animal should be referred to as ‘Asiatic raccoon’ in advertising and labeling.”
animals
Should You Buy A Monkey?
By 3.5.08
Like so many of us, Stewart at My Family’s Money has always wanted to own a monkey. His reasoning is sound: “They are ridiculously awesome and having one as a pet would be even more awesome.” Stewart decided it would be a good idea to estimate the total lifetime cost of owning a monkey. We think he’s playing a little fast and loose with the numbers, but then again where do you go to get hard stats on monkey ownership? Not from our lazy Census takers, that’s for sure.
How About Those Super Bowl Ads!
By 2.4.08
Last night’s commercials were a tame batch of disappointment. Everybody wanted cutesy animals—squirrels, horses, ponies, pigeons, crickets, dogs, lions, and lizards—to endorse their products. After the jump, the four spots that caught our eye.
CDW Takes The Ethical Treatment Of Chimpanzees Seriously
By 1.19.08
WHO:CDW WHAT: PETA doesn’t like it when chimpanzees are used in advertising. (Shocking, we know.) WHERE: CDW advertisement assailed by animal rights group [Crain’s Chicago Business] THE QUOTE: “We take their concerns seriously and will keep it mind in future campaigns,” the CDW spokesman said.
Frontier Kicks Grandmother Off Plane, Claims Her Pre-Approved Pet Carrier Was 2" Too Long
By 12.26.07
Frontier airlines kicked a cancer-surviving grandmother in her sixties, Julie Fishback, off their plane because the pet carrier holding her Jack Russell Terrier was two-inches too long. This surprised Julie, who had made the two-hour trek to the airport several days before to confirm that she would be allowed to fly with the “universally accepted” carry-on pet carrier she had recently purchased.
6 Major Retailers Selling Real Fur As "Faux"
By 12.20.07
Six big retailers are selling jackets advertised as having “faux” fur, but the fur is actually from real animals. It’s not only mean, it’s a violation of the federal Fur Products Labeling Act. An investigation by the Humane Society of The United States * found jackets sold at Saks, Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor, Dillards, Yoox and Bloomingdales containing the faux “faux” fur. Much of the world’s fur is processed in China, a place where they skin animals alive for their fur.
By 9.14.07
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A reader at Neatorama reveals the dark Masonic secret of the Toblerone logo: a hidden bear! If you look closely at the mountain that’s on every bar of Toblerone chocolate, you can see a bear standing on his hind legs. It also looks like there’s a goldfish cracker near the base of the mountain, but that might just be because we’re hungry. [Neatorama]
