Delaware General Assembly Passes Bill to Protect Consumers

Tag : Raccoon Fur

The HSUS Urges a Swift Signature by the Governor
WASHINGTON — The Humane Society of the United States applaudsthe Delaware General Assembly for passing legislation requiring allgarments made of animal fur to be labeled as real fur, and urgedthe Gov. Ruth Ann Minner to quickly sign the bill into law. Themeasure, H.B. 216, sponsored by Rep. Melanie George Marshall (D-5)and Sen. Margaret Rose Henry (D-2), passed unanimously.
An ongoing investigation by The HSUS found unlabeled jacketsfalsely advertised and sold as faux fur. Laboratory testingrevealed that the garments actually contained real fur from raccoondogs and other animals. Investigators also found unlabeled jacketswith the animal fur dyed unnatural colors like blue or pink.
"Delaware shoppers would be horrified to know that they could beduped into buying animal fur, possibly from a type of dog oftenskinned alive in China," said Michael Markarian, executive vicepresident for The HSUS. "We applaud Delaware lawmakers for passingthis important policy to protect consumers from rampant deception."
"H.B. 216 is a simple, but important, consumer protection measurewhich will give all consumers greater confidence in Delawareretailers. I urge Governor Minner to sign this importantlegislation into law," commented Sen. Henry.
Rep. Marshall said, "I am pleased that the Delaware GeneralAssembly has passed legislation to ensure accurate and consistentlabeling on all animal fur garments. Many consumers object to realfur and have a right to know what they are buying."
In the wake of The HSUS' investigation, designers such as MichaelKors, DKNY, Rocawear and Sean John pledged not to use raccoon dogfur. Calvin Klein, Tommy Hilfiger and Foot Locker decided to stopusing fur altogether.
Similar legislation was signed into law in New York last year andMassachusetts and Wisconsin already have similar laws in effect.
A separate bill in the U.S. Congress – H.R. 891, the Dog andCat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act – would ban the sale ofraccoon dog fur. Additionally, it would require all garmentstrimmed with fur to be labeled, regardless of value. Current lawallows fur valued at less than $150 to go unlabeled. Thislegislation, introduced by Rep. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Rep. MikeFerguson (R-N.J.), currently has 164 cosponsors. The federal billhas been endorsed by retailers and designers such as TommyHilfiger, Burlington Coat Factory, Loehmann's, House ofDeréon, Marc Ecko Enterprises and Buffalo Exchange.
The bill language is online here .
Photos are available of unlabeled fur garments purchased atDelaware stores and of raccoon dogs in cages in Chinesemarketplaces.
For more information on The HSUS' fur investigations, visit humanesociety.org/furfree .
Facts: The HSUS investigation found raccoon dog fur on 80 percent of anationwide sample of fur-trimmed jackets purchased from well-knownretailers and designers. Of the raccoon dog fur jackets tested, nota single one properly identified the animal in advertising orlabeling, instead calling it such things as faux fur, raccoon orsimply not labeling it at all. Estimates on the number of raccoon dogs being caged and killed inChina range from 1.5 million to 4 million. It is illegal to import, export, sell or advertise any domestic dogfur in the United States, but raccoon dog fur is currently notincluded in this ban. The Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 banned the trade in domesticdog and cat fur after an HSUS investigation revealed the death tollof 2 million animals a year in China and other parts of Asia andfound domestic dog fur for sale in the United States.
Timeline: 2005 - HSUS begins investigation into raccoon dog fur trade. Feb. 2006 - HSUS announces widespread industry scandal findingraccoon dog fur for sale in United States. Dec. 2006 - Tests commissioned by HSUS investigators find raccoondog fur on jackets advertised as "faux" and labeled as otherspecies such as raccoon or coyote. Feb. 2007 - Tests commissioned by HSUS investigators find domesticdog fur on unlabeled jackets advertised as "faux" fur. Feb. 2007 - U.S. Reps. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Michael Ferguson(R-N.J.) introduce the Dog and Cat Fur Prohibition Enforcement Act,H.R. 891. March 2007 - HSUS files petition with FTC seeking to enforce theFur Products Labeling Act. Aug. 15, 2007 - Legislation to require fur labeling signed into lawin New York.
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The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largestanimal protection organization — backed by 10.5 millionAmericans, or one of every 30. For more than a half-century, TheHSUS has been fighting for the protection of all animals throughadvocacy, education, and hands-on programs. Celebrating animals andconfronting cruelty — On the web at humanesociety.org .