Press Release

Legislation Introduced to Protect Consumers and Dogs with Proper
Labeling of Fur-Trimmed Garments

Washington, D.C., February 7th – Congressman Jim Moran, Virginia Democrat, joined with Representative Mike Ferguson (R-NJ) and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) to introduce legislation requiring honest labeling of fur and to bar the import of a dog species from China.

"Americans don't want Lassie turned into a fur coat. Unfortunately, that's happening today because consumers lack the right information to make an informed purchase,” said Rep. Moran. “In the U.S., we treat cats and dogs as pets, not trimmings for the latest fashion wear.  Our laws should be reflective of the special status Americans bestow on their companion animals, not contradictive.”  

It is illegal to import, export, sell or advertise any domestic dog or cat fur in the United States. Fur from other animals must be identified with a label, but only if the value of the fur exceeds $150. U.S. Representatives Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Michael Ferguson (R-N.J.), along with 25 additional cosponsors, today introduced the Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act, which aims to protect consumers and animals by outlawing the import of fur from raccoon dogs and requiring all garments trimmed with fur to be labeled, regardless of value.

In recent months a team of HSUS investigators found a proliferation of falsely labeled and falsely advertised dog fur on fashion clothing sold by some of the largest names in U.S. retailing. Of the fur-trimmed jackets subjected to mass spectrometry testing by The HSUS, 96 percent were found to be domestic dog, wolf or raccoon dog, and either mislabeled or not labeled at all. The raccoon dog is a member of the dog family with markings resembling those of a raccoon, known to be skinned alive for fur in China.

Recently, Nordstrom’s, Tommy Hilfiger and Bluefly.com advertised jackets trimmed with fur from domestic dog as “faux.” The dog fur appeared as trim on the hoods of coats from popular brands such as Joie, Tommy Hilfiger and Andrew Marc.  Additionally, a HSUS investigation revealed that J.C. Penney was selling raccoon dog fur mislabeled as raccoon. The retailer pulled the garments, blacked out the name of the species from the label and returned the coats to the floor to be sold.

“Selling domestic dog and raccoon dog fur as ‘faux’ or other deceptive names is unconscionable,” said Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of The HSUS, the nation’s largest animal protection organization. “We’re very grateful to Rep. Moran and Rep. Ferguson for introducing this important legislation, and we urge Congress to pass the Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act to prevent animal cruelty and consumer fraud.”

The designers involved include well-known brands such as Diddy’s Sean John, Jay-Z’s Rocawear, Beyoncé Knowles’ Deréon, Calvin Klein, Andrew Marc, Michael Kors, Oscar de la Renta, Bogner, Baby Phat and DKNY. Many designers and retailers were shocked by The HSUS’s test results: Deréon, Macy’s, Rocawear and Sean John pulled the offending garments, with Rocawear and Sean John pledging not to use raccoon dog fur in the future, and Calvin Klein announced it will phase out the use of all fur.

Half of all fur garments entering the United States come from China, where large numbers of domestic dogs and cats as well as raccoon dogs are killed every year for their fur by brutal methods, sometimes skinned alive.  The Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 banned the trade in domestic dog and cat fur after an HSUS investigation revealed the death toll at 2 million animals a year and found domestic dog fur for sale in the United States.

The Moran-Ferguson legislation will outlaw raccoon dog fur and close a loophole in the Fur Products Labeling Act of 1951 that exempts garments with a “relatively small quantity or value” of fur from requiring labels disclosing the name of the species, the manufacturer, the country of origin and other pertinent information for consumers. The Federal Trade Commission defines that value today as $150—an amount that allows multiple animal pelts on a garment without a label.

Other original cosponsors of the Moran-Ferguson bill include Reps. Shelley Berkley (D-Nev.), Howard Berman (D-Calif.), John Campbell (R-Calif.), Lois Capps (D-Calif.), Steve Cohen (D-Tenn.), Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.), Elton Gallegly (R-Calif.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Tex.), Dennis Kucinich (D-Ohio), Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.), Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.), Kenny Marchant (R-Tex.), George Miller (D-Calif.), Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.), Todd Platts (R-Pa.), Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), Jim Saxton (R-N.J.), Janice Schakowsky (D-Ill.), Chris Shays (R-Conn.), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.), Pete Stark (D-Calif.), Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) and Joe Wilson (R-S.C.).

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