And J.C. Penney had their employees pull coats off the rack, blacken out the line on the contents label and then put the coats back on the racks for sale during the Christmas holidays?...

DALLAS - J.C. Penney Co. removed some fur-trimmed coats from its racks around Christmas after animal-rights activists objected that the fur came from wild dogs in China.  Last week, the department-store company put the coats back on the racks — but only after directing employees to use marker pens to blot out the line on the label that identified the trim as raccoon fur. The fur-collared leather coats were sold under the house brands St. John’s Bay and a.n.a., and by this week they were marked down at a Penney’s in Dallas from the original $349.99 to $74.99. About two dozen remained. 
Source: Activists rip Penneys over dog-fur coats

I’m disgusted… More than disgusted… Nothing like having a ‘Fido faux fur’ collar or trim wrapped around your shoulders and face, huh?… Especially when the label says ‘faux fur’… Federal law prohibits the import of dog and cat fur products, but if the value of the import is less than $150, NO label is required...

Yep, you heard that right... That's our current law on the books...

And of course, the ‘home’ of ‘Canine Holocausts’ as we know it in today’s times (China) is at the root of this once again… They are the largest supplier of fur in the world today (a 4 BILLION dollar industry – although because their industries aren’t regulated, they have no animal humane laws and their exports aren’t regulated, there’s no REAL numbers that can be found and 4 billion dollars is a ‘best-guess-estimate’)… And the United States is the largest purchaser of Chinese-produced products (combined) in the world... 

We all know how effective it was when we try asking for more humane practices in China… Especially after the mass killing in China of over 50,000+ dogs in 4 days in July of 2006… Another topic, but it sure speaks a lot about the Chinese mindset regarding dogs and other small animals...

For those not aware of what a Raccoon Dog is, it is called a Raccoon Dog because it’s a dog that looks like a raccoon…  But it is a dog… The Raccoon Dog is nearly extinct in Japan now after it was hunted to that point… But in China, they’re ‘farmed’ and then skin it LIVE for the ‘faux fur’ trade…

In ANYONE’s dictionary – FAUX means IMITATION…  So exactly what part of this Raccoon Dog is ‘faux’????...

The Raccoon Dog is between 5.5 to 14 pounds in weight – about the size of a Yorkie to a Cocker Spaniel to put this in perspective…

They are ‘raised’ in wire cages “90Lx70Wx60H” (although some cages are smaller)... Again to put this in perspective - that is 35.25” length by 27.5” wide by 23.5” high… Probably less than the size of the top of the computer desk your computer is sitting on…

And the cage houses TWO Raccoon Dogs for their short and horrific life while being ‘farmed’… Some of these cages don’t even have top covers in fact… Most of the cages are made completely of wire - top, sides, back, front and bottom... Oh, should I mention that for 'humane'?... 'convenience'? reasons - some cages are lifted a few inches above the ground for the waste matter to drop through the wire below?... Incidentally, airline kennels flying animals in cargo require the animal to "be able to stand up, move around and be able to rest in a natural position and flights can be no longer than twelve hours in duration"...

But you know what gets to me about the horrific 'farming' of Raccoon Dogs in China?... In 2004 there was an in-depth report released SPECIFICALLY about this problem and NOTHING came of it… I’m serious as a heart attack… “Fun Fur? Report on China's Fur Industry”... Caution when viewing the .pdf report - only strong stomachs and 'slow tempers' should view... Because it will make your blood boil once you've read their report through its entirety!...

Nothing came about because of the release of information… And the practice was not stopped or even curtailed… In fact, in the past ten years has seen an increased marketing program of encouraging people to once again wear fur… Great Britain has outlawed the inhumane fur trade, but London is the ‘capital of the world’ when it comes to fur… HUH?... What part of that doesn’t make sense?... Or am I just totally not understanding the point of revealing injustices to the public?...  

What integrity do I feel about a manufacturer's REQUIRED contents label when it’s ‘wordsmithed’ around like this?... How can I trust what’s really used to make a garment when I learn about things like this?... Just getting beyond the idea that I don't want to wear a dog’s fur around my face or neck – there are some people that are highly allergic to dog dander… And the price-tag tells you nothing… This fur is used on jackets from as cheap as $79.99 to $6,000…

But the REAL kicker in all of this??... And hope you’re sitting down...

<<In a statement by Sean “Diddy” Combs released by his publicist Hampton Carney, the designer said: “I was completely unaware of the nature of this material, but as soon as we were alerted, the garments were pulled off the Macy’s floor and Web site. I have instructed our outerwear licensee to cease the production of any garments using this material immediately.”>>  Source: MSNBC article
 

Sorry… I don’t ‘buy it’… Mr. Combs is TOO sharp of a businessman and entrepreneur to not be "on top of his game" with ALL of the details in EVERY venue he’s involved in… And his press release also states he has committed himself to 'pay more attention' to his clothing line… (press release - July 2005)...

But let’s face it – the ‘Sean John’ line represented over $400 million dollars revenue in 2004 (or $125-150 million wholesale - per the same press release on the website)... Furthermore, note the jacket showing on the Mr. Combs' website still - wouldn't you think that ANY jacket with fur trim after this disclosure would have been pulled from his line now?   Or is it still 'all about profits and money' in the high fashion industry despite how the Raccoon Dog is raised and killed in China to supply fur to the buying public?

• Sean John - It's not just a label

Just ‘pulling’ the garments isn’t good enough… Pulling the garments, blackening out the line in the contents label and then STILL selling them isn't good enough either... Sorry… Nope, not good enough at all.. Wouldn’t work in a court of law, but apparently we, the general public, are accepting it…

We Americans (apparently) can’t do a darned thing about China and their lack of humane treatment laws, but guess where the money came from to buy these garments with Raccoon Dog ‘faux fur’???... And where the profits that this horrific practice went to?... “Ignorance is not an excuse under the law” as I’ve been told recently…

Taking out my handy dandy calculator and just using the 'Sean John' line (I wish I could find the total amount of sales for all of the garments that have been using Raccoon Dog fur, but surprisingly those figures aren't to be found - no surprise, huh?)… 70% of the $400 million came from mens wear in the ‘Sean John’ line (per the press release)… Let’s just use 10% of that figure ($40,000,000 times the two years this was happening ‘without being known about’ – 2004 until 12/22/06)… That’s $80,000,000 of gross sales in two years…

There are about 6,000 rescue groups around this country dedicated to the rescue of unwanted dogs, cats and other small pets… Divide $80,000,000 by 6,000 - or about $13,333 for each group to further their efforts in SAVING dogs and NOT skinning them alive for their fur…  $13,333 per rescue group would be a 'drop in the bucket' against the profits made in the garment industry by this horrific practice... None of the rescue groups have enough 'political clout' to safeguard abuse against the dogs currently in their own care - let alone to COMPLETELY stop the importing of these 'faux' furs from China... "Dry up the market for buying them" and it might eventually stop the 'farmers' in China...

If you want to do the 'right thing', Mr. Combs - make this happen (and we all know you can because we've watched you do impossible things in your life and your career - as well as how you yourself have affected the American culture as we now know it)...

We can’t stop China from their barbaric practices, but because the money paid from the end result of these inhumane practices was paid by American citizens - surely compensation can be paid to each and every rescue group in this country to help American dogs in rescue and shelters from years worth of sales of skinning Raccoon Dogs alive to provide the fur that was used to sell these garments???…  From ALL the American corporations involved in selling these garments improperly labeled and inhumanely gotten in these so-called "farms" in China - not just the 'Sean John' line but all of the fashion lines that are profiting off the sale of Raccoon Dogs...

I’m telling ya people…

• What’s the point of proper garment labeling in this country if the laws can be trampled on like this?...

• What’s the point of calling ourselves ‘human’ when we allow such inhumane practices as this to go on, and we do NOTHING about it?... Even once reports have been written exposing the inhumanity, the media have reported on it, etc.?

• How can we allow an ‘opps… I’m sorry… I didn’t know… We’ll pull the garments off the racks’ excuse to stand?... Or the garments were pulled, the label altered and the garments were put back on the racks to be sold to uninformed buyers?
   

• Exactly where did all those garments with Raccoon Dog fur go once this issue was reported in the media?...

Is anyone but me asking these questions????

As Always,
Linda Nelson
(AKA The Lady)

Further websites:
CAUTION ~ CAUTION ~ CAUTION
Some of these websites show VERY graphic footage of how they 'farm' and kill the Raccoon Dog in China... not for the squeamish at all.

• <<Sean "Diddy" Combs notified The HSUS through a representative Dec. 22 that the Sean John snorkel jacket containing raccoon dog fur
  CAUTION - GRAPHIC VIDEO ~>(see video of raccoon dogs killed for fur)
  was being pulled from sales, and in the future, the garment will be made with faux fur trim only. >>  Source: HSUS
   

• Raccoon Dogs are still alive while being skinned in these still images taken from a video at a Chinese 'faux fur farm'. Raccoon Dogs - All Animals Exploitation Gallery <<We find it curious and hard to understand why most clergy and churches don't allow smoking in the churches, but say nothing about the wearing of furs, and terrible pain and suffering that goes into those garments.>>
   

• 'Sean John' Snorkel Jackets still be sold via the Internet via East Bay (black, white & expresso - lists the trim as 'faux fur') and other retailers - although they are now marked 50% off or lower in price on some web sites - CLICK to Google on this topic
   

• The Macy's fashion store chain on December 22, 2006 withdrew from sale two styles of Sean John brand hooded jackets, after mass spectrometry testing commissioned by the Humane Society of the U.S. revealed that "imitation rabbit fur" and "faux fur" collars were made from the fur of tanuki dogs, members of the domestic dog family with raccoon-like markings, native to China and Korea.   "A Sean John snorkel jacket on sale for US$237.99 at Macys.com specifically identified the materials used as 'Nylon/faux fur/goose down,' " HSUS said. "When investigators purchased the coat, they found that the labels read 'Made in China' and 'genuine raccoon fur.' "  "I was completely unaware of the nature of this material. As soon as we were alerted, the garments were pulled," designer Sean "Diddly" Combs said through a publicist. "I have instructed our outerwear licensee to cease the production of any garments using this material immediately." 
  Macy's "has a long-standing policy against selling any dog or cat fur," spokesperson Orlando Veras told Associated Press business writer Anne D'Innocenzio.  "This is an industry-wide problem," said HSUS president Wayne Pacelle. "Our investigation demonstrates that retailers and designers are not paying close enough attention to composition of the fur trim they are selling. It's especially problematic when the fur
  is sourced from China, where domestic dogs and cats and raccoon dogs are killed in gruesome ways, even skinned alive. The safest course of action is for Sean Combs and other designers and retailers to stop using fur trim. That single act would solve the problem."  Source: Pet Industry News - January 12, 2007
   

• Dandong Fur Company - Mainland China - CLEARLY selling Raccoon Dog fur pelts in their online 'catalog' - CLICK

P.S. How can you as the consumer tell if it's really 'faux' fur or not?  Pull the 'fur' apart down to its base - and if you see fabric below the 'fur', you know it's really 'faux' fur and not real animal fur.