Posted on 03/08/2003 1:42:55 PM PST by nmh
The fur trade
Puppy love
Feb 27th 2003 | BRUSSELS
From The Economist print edition
How much is that dead doggy or cat in the window?
CAT PELTS, a golden-retriever rug and a full-length coat made from 42 German shepherd PUPPIES make the office of Struan Stevenson seem like a set from a dark version of “101 Dalmatians”. But this is not proof that the British Conservative MEP is a modern Cruella de Vil. It is evidence in his campaign for a European Union ban on trade in CAT and DOG fur. Each item was bought in a big European city, he says.
Three years ago, revelations that what are usually regarded as FAMILY PETS are being bred by the million—mostly in China—for the fur trade, provoked America's Congress into passing the Cat and Dog Protection Act. According to America's Humane Society, which highlighted the trade, the focus of exports is now Europe, where fluffy CAT and DOG skins now account for a large number of coat trims, snow-boot linings and hairbands in even the most respectable mainstream shops—with consumers, and probably the shops themselves, blissfully unaware that they are buying and selling ex-Rovers and Felixes.
The thought that consumers might start to wonder if hat mink (nasty creature, deserves to die) is really a cute domestic moggy (ahhh!) is the last thing the rest of the fur trade needs now. It is growing steadily again, despite the best efforts of campaigners to make wearing fur socially unacceptable: remember the ads featuring models saying they would rather go naked than wear fur?
Which is why, although the EU seems unlikely to copy America's outright ban, the “respectable” fur trade will do all it can to stamp out imports of cat and dog. Members of the International Fur Trade Federation (IFTF) already have a self-imposed ban on cat and dog fur. Next September, the IFTF will introduce stricter labelling, showing the source of fur in English, the local language and Latin. Will that beat labels such as “Asian wolf” and “Dogues du Chine” that are now used?
I wasn't aware that they tortured them for occult reasons and sex. How evil! South Koreans are looking more and more uncivilized. I hope we pull out of there soon. As for China, they'll do ANYTHING for money.
Not me! I have a higher regard for a French Poodle than ANY French person I've met.
Apparently you've never had a pet. If you had one, you'd understand why this is so disgusting. The unconditional love and intelligence is something you have to experience.
"Among the animals residing in our home are two rabbits. Yet I don't go aghast that folks use rabbit fur for cover, just because I prefer to harvest my Angora's for wool and keep them living. "
Removing the fur of an angora does the pet a favor. Rabbits aren't domesticated pets and lack the intelligence and affection that dogs and cats possess. While I wouldn't eat a rabbit, I don't object to people eating rabbits or fowl for that matter.
"One of my neighbor's has 3 decorative pet sheep, who give the yard a bucolic look. I suppose it's horrible their daughter sports a nice lambskin jacket made from some anonymous donor."
If you think it's great to skin a lamb, so be it. I think it is barbaric and unnecessary. Maybe she ought ot look into sporting a humam skin jacket.
I was asking why there's such an uproar over the fur of animals people keep as pets. As to your inquisition on whether I've had pets....In addition to rabbits, I have two dogs and a cat and have had a myriad of animals over the years.
This is why I'm asking "why" it's somehow worse to skin a domestic animal.
BTW, from your last comment regarding skinning sheep..you've managed to come across as some sort of PETA extremist. So, do you wear leather skinned from cows?
One of my other neighbors keeps a few of those as pets too. He's one of those gentleman farmer types...he keeps letting them have babies and now there's about 100. Good thing he can afford the feed because no one eats them and they're not milk cows.
As I type, he has not given up wearing leather shoes.
Obviously I've caused you to react emotionally, since you certainly didn't comprehend what I stated....I never wear any fur, out of personal preference. I also have no problem with others choosing to wear fur.
I was asking why there's such an uproar over the fur of animals people keep as pets, as opposed to the skin of farm animals or animals bred for fur.
As to your inquisition on whether I've had pets....In addition to rabbits, I have two dogs and a cat and have had a myriad of animals over the years. This is why I'm asking "why" it's somehow worse to skin a domestic animal that happens to be kept as a pet.
BTW, from your last comment regarding skinning sheep..you've managed to come across as some sort of PETA extremist. So, do you wear leather skinned from cows?
One of my other neighbors keeps a few of those as pets too. He's one of those gentleman farmer types...he keeps letting them have babies and now there's about 100. Good thing he can afford the feed because no one eats them and they're not milk cows.
As I type, he has not given up wearing leather shoes.
It's Santos L. Halper..: )
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