You are here ~~> Canines Corner~~> Topics ~~> "Faux" Fur Controversy
                        ~~> Why wear real fur instead of real 'faux' fur?

Note: for purposes of this page, fur is REAL fur from animals and 'faux' fur is synthetic and imitation fur made from fabric and synthetic fibers (unlike what garment manufacturers are trying to reclassify materials as... 'faux' is imitation according to everyone's dictionaries).

 a "It's a matter of money... I can now afford real fur, so why shouldn't I buy it?"
..........Because the fur trade industry is largely unregulated around the world.  Even with laws on the books, each country is having difficulty enforcing their own laws.  The larger exporters of the fur trade have clearly expressed concern that if their products are properly labeled as to the real species and contents of the fur, the general public will simply not buy them.  China (the largest exporter of the fur trade) does not have humane laws on their books, exporters have freely admitted they will put any label on a shipment the buyer wants - so are you really buying real fur as it is labeled?  Or are you buying fur that has been intentionally mislabeled so that you are duped into buying it as labeled?  Would you allow the same marketing practice to exist if you were buying medicine?  The price tag only reflects what a consumer is willing to pay for the product (or the brand name) in the fur trade - it does not constitute the real contents of the garment (as has been proven countless times on this website if you're read through it yet).

 a "I know I must be buying real fur because of where I bought it and the amount I paid for the item."
..........The trail from the origination of the furs - to where they are traded - to the furriers who create the garments - to the outlets where the sales occur - have been consistently documented as being flawed... or intentionally deceiving.  Undercover investigations have shown Belgium furriers knowing the furs were dog and cat fur, or that the 'farms' producing these pelts are inhumanely producing them.  Importers in the U.S. have ordered 'coyote' and gotten dog and cat fur.  The ONLY way YOU can be 100% sure of what you have bought now is to have the fur tested (as the HSUS did in December, 2006).  Of the 25 high fashion coats tested, 96% were either Raccoon Dog or Domestic Dog.  ALL (100%) were either mislabeled or not labeled at all.  So - again - because you paid a lot for that real fur, it might be real fur but it is doubtful it is the fur you thought you were buying.

 a "Real fur is warmer than 'faux' fur... the Eskimos wore it for centuries!".
..........Not true.  Artic and Antarctic personnel do not wear real fur, but instead synthetics specifically made to insure greater warmth.  Animals wear fur because of the climate they live in, but it's warm for them because they are alive and keeping that part of their body alive with blood, nutrients and grooming - providing needed oils to keep their outside skin healthy.  Eskimos wore fur because it is what their environment provided them with to endure the cold.  If there were factories around with readily available materials, it would have been a different story - besides that, Eskimos didn't kill without purpose and cause... they killed only what they NEEDED.  The fur trade in our time kills to satisfy greed and a market demand.

 a "'Faux' fur doesn't look as good as real fur."
..........Not true.  Good quality 'faux' fur is impossible to tell from real fur.  I purchased several yards of synthetic artic fox 'faux' fur in 2006 from a very well known fabric store at $39.99 a yard ($150 total needed for a full length fur poncho) - as opposed to the price of dog pelts being sold for less than $20 ($80 total).  Now who exactly really spent more - you or me?  When someone tells me how beautiful my poncho is, I can (and do) readily reveal the lining where I show them it's all synthetic and my poncho killed not one dog or cat.  Can you?

 a "Durability... it all gets down to how long it will last."
..........A real fur coat (if properly cared for) will last (on the average) of 20 years (longer than the life of the average fur-bearing animal).  'Properly cared for' means that the coat is put into refrigerated storage in spring and stays there until the fall - because, simply put, it's a dead animal skin.  In the fall it must be taken out of refrigeration and 'fur cleaned'.  In basic terms, it is put into a large 'washing machine' filled with oiled sawdust and chemicals (more or less)... the sawdust gets into the fur and re-oils it because the actual skin below the fur becomes brittle and cracks once the natural oils dry out (very similar to human skin).  'Pressure points' in fur garments stress greater than they were intended to, and these pressure points are the first to rip and tear (elbows, shoulder seams, etc.).  Even if your garment is only real fur-trimmed, the same process needs to be applied because it's trimmed in dead animal skin (and NOT getting the natural nutrients and oils any longer).  Heating and humidity changes inside our homes dry out these skins... whether it's a full length garment or a trimmed-only garment. FACTS from the Fur Council of America regarding this  A 'faux' fur garment does not need refrigeration throughout the warmer months - it's not going to dry out and crack in the pressure points of the garment.

 a "I don't buy fur garments, so I'm not contributing to the killing of dogs or cats".
..........Again, not true.  In China, all parts of the dogs and cats killed are used - clear down to the feet which are boiled into glue.  China is the largest producer of products to the United States and other countries around the world.  Simply put, they have no animal humane laws on the books and the world's economy chooses to look the other way.  While the tanning industry in the United States is regulated regarding chemical usage in their process, it doesn't happen in China.  Don't we all share the same oceans, regardless of what country you are from?  Ever wonder where all those chemicals are going that are used to tan this huge amount of fur in China?  Furthermore, without regulations regarding content (or enforcement), do we ever really know the true contents of ANY product being manufactured and produced in China?  China is also the largest producer of artificial Christmas trees and ornaments (in a country that is largely Buddhist)... think about that fact next Christmas morning as you're sitting there around the tree.  Dog and cat by-products of the fur trade end up as doggie chew sticks, animal figurines, pet toys - and yes, as meat for human consumption.  EVERY part of the dogs and cats are used - the fur is the most important "$$" part of the process, but all the rest of the animal is used for production of some product in China.  Halt the inhumane fur trade - you slow down the by-product production as well.

 a  a  Food for thought (and you can reach your own conclusions here)  a  a  

..........We humans domesticated the cat to control the rodent population in our stores of grain.  The dog became domesticated as a companion to us - today many dogs are service animals, watch over us and herd our flocks, provide companionship and unconditional love to us.  Have we broken the trust and bond we offered dogs and cats along the way?  German Shepherds in dog trading markets in China continue to wag their tail right up to the time they are hooked to a post with a wire around their neck and their hind leg is slashed for them to bleed to death.  Who broke their promise to the other?  The dogs and cats - or us humans?

..........We become emotionally overwhelmed when Fido starts attacking cats or other small animals... And yet?... We're handing him pet toys and chews made from other cat and dog body parts and furs, 'awakening' the prey instinct... And we pet owners wonder why they do this 'all of a sudden'?  Aggressiveness begins without warning and we don't have a clue as to what happened?  Kitty takes a swipe or a bite out of our child... Fido charges the next-door neighbor's dog... And we're clueless?

..........Most of us now know what the effects of lead and mercury in our systems do to small children and the development of their brains... Lead-based paints and building materials have been outlawed in the U.S... Ever consider what un-regulated tanning processes are doing to our environment?   Mercury-poisoning occurs throughout the world in our fish... ever wonder why?  The environment is an ever-cycling system around this planet - because our government might regulate it and try to enforce the regulations, we have absolutely no control over what another country is doing to the waters, air and environmental system. Or do we?

Mahatma Gandi's thoughts..........

• The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated.
• Be the change you want to see in the world.
• The difference between what we do and what we are capable of doing would suffice to solve most of the world's problems.
• When I despair, I remember that all through history the ways of truth and love have always won. There have been tyrants, and murderers, and for a time they can seem invincible, but in the end they always fall. Think of it--always.