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Felis catus and Canis familiaris

"Asiatic raccoons" are not dogs

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Felis catus and Canis familiaris

Contrary to mis-information supplied by activist groups, the fur trade in Europe and North America does not use Felis catus and Canis familiaris.

While we respect the cultural diversity between nations, we are sensitive to the fact that in many parts of the world, these species are domesticated pets and use of their fur would be unacceptable to the majority of people.

The world-wide fur industry is tightly regulated under provincial/state, national and international regulations and codes of practice. The fur trade does not use endangered species and to this end fully endorses the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES). The trade also funds welfare research to ensure high standards of animal welfare for farmed and wild fur-bearing animals. As an industry, we are against any form of animal cruelty. We deplore and work against the mistreatment of animals.

In Europe, the trade has introduced a fur labelling system approved by the respected Italian standardisation organisation, UNI, to provide further assurance to consumers. In this system, a label providing the name of the fur type in Latin, English and/or the local language is firmly attached or sewn to an existing retailer or manufacturerís label in a garment or product containing fur.

In North America, all fur products are clearly labelled as to fur type¹.

The fur trade is exploring a new technique² developed in Germany to identify fur types, in rare cases where there might be uncertainty.

In the USA, clear fur labelling is required under The Fur Products Labelling Act as to fur type and country of origin; in Canada, the accuracy of information on fur labels is required under the provisions of the Competition Act.
The SIAM method, developed by the Gene-Facts Laboratory. It appears to work well on raw, dressed and dyed fur.