Investigation Results Find Raccoon Dog Most Misrepresented Fur Sold in America |
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March 19, 2008
The number of Americans who may have unknowingly purchased jackets trimmed with fur from raccoon dogs or other species continues to grow as more falsely advertised or mislabeled jackets were revealed today.
With the inclusion of these latest results, raccoon dog fur has now been found on 70 percent of the jackets HSUS investigators have tested and found to have apparent violations of the Federal Fur Products Labeling Act.
Big Names, Big Deception
The names of the retailers and brands associated with these latest jackets (sold over the winter) include Eluxury, Dillard's, Dr. Jay's, Caché, Bluefly, Sears, and Juicy Couture. Four of the jackets were trimmed with raccoon dog fur.
These jackets are the latest of a set of coats HSUS investigators discovered being sold by some of the largest names in fashion last September-November. During that same time, investigators found seven jackets advertised or labeled as faux that in fact used real fur. The HSUS publicized those results in Dec. 2007.
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| Raccoon dogs are social canines who form pair bonds in the wild. |
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A Dog, Not a Raccoon
Raccoon dog fur trim was on more than two-thirds of the falsely advertised or mislabeled jackets tested by The HSUS over the last three years. This fur is most commonly marketed as "raccoon." But raccoon dogs aren't raccoons (scientific name Procyon lotor) at all.
They merely have facial markings that resemble raccoons. Raccoon dogs (scientific name Nyctereutes procyonoides) are actually members of the dog family.
Indigenous to Asia—including eastern Siberia and Japan—these fox-sized, furry animals seem to enjoy having a mate or friend close by.
They live in pairs or small groups and have been observed maintaining bodily contact with one another while sleeping and resting, and engaging in social grooming—a rarity among canines. Male raccoon dogs are also helpful fathers—bringing food to their pregnant mates as well as helping to raise the young.
Despite their fondness for close social contact, millions of raccoon dogs are routinely isolated on Chinese fur operations in tiny metal cages before being clubbed, slammed to the ground, or skinned alive.
Consumer Implications
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Incorrect, Misleading Names Used to Sell Raccoon Dog Fur
- "faux fur"
- "ecological fur"
- "polyester"
- "Coyote"
- "Rabbit"
- "Canis Latranis"
- "Raccoon"
- "Finn Raccoon"
- "Finni Raccon"
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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.
What You Can Do
The HSUS is urging legislators to pass laws at the state and federal level to ban raccoon dog fur—both to protect consumers and to help these animals who are subjected to systemic abuses to trim American coats.
Ask your U.S. Representative to support and co-sponsor the Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act, H.R. 891.
Want more info? Learn to tell real fur from fake, and view our fur-free retailers list.
Related Links
HSUS raccoon dog fur investigation, fall/winter 2007
Fur test results public factsheet
Holiday Shoppers Beware: Six Major Retailers Selling Real Fur as Faux
The Cruel Reality of Fur Production
Dog and Cat Victims of the Fur Trade
Fur-Free Designers and Retailers
Fur-Free Action Guide—What You Can Do
