Canada should ban sale of dog and cat fur: MP

Dec 20 2017, 3:47 am

As an animal lover and advocate, I would never buy a Canada Goose jacket. Sure, they’re a really nice looking garment, but buying a coat made with real coyote fur trim does not sit well with me.

No matter how much a manufacturer claims their fur harvesting practices are civilized and kind, I just can’t support an industry that kills animals in the name of fashion.

But unfortunately consumers like me seeking out “faux fur” items as a humane alternatives can end up unknowingly purchasing real fur. Animal fur that is deliberately mislabeled as faux fur can be found in the trim of jackets, the lining in boots or gloves, and even the exterior of stuffed animals for kids, according to the BC SPCA.

Recent investigations by the Humane Society (HSUS) and The Toronto Star have revealed that many items labelled as faux fur in stores actually contain real animal fur, including rabbits, mink, foxes, and domestic dogs and cats.

Many of these animals are kept in cramped and filthy cages on fur farms until they are slaughtered for their meat and fur. Some of the countries where this is happening have little to no standards for animal welfare — and no animal cruelty laws. Some of these animals are stabbed to death, bludgeoned, hanged or skinned alive.

Some countries are making gains to stop this from happening: The United States, UK, Australia and the European Union have all prohibited the practice of importing cat and dog fur.

But Canada has no laws on the books to stop the importation and selling of these kinds of furs, and there are no labelling requirements compelling clothing manufacturers to say their product contains real fur.

One B.C. MP is hoping that will change.

Vancouver Kingsway MP Don Davies has sponsored a new electronic petition calling on the federal government to ban the importation of dog and cat fur into our country.

Unlike other types of online petitions on social media sites, this one can actually lead to real change. If the petition gains 100,000 signatures by May 17, it will be formally introduced into the House of Commons.

“I don’t think that most people know that dog and cat fur is being used here in Canada. It’s horrifying. This is an attempt to shine a light on this issue,” Davies told Vancity Buzz.

The petition calls on the government to formally recognize the “special relationships” people in our country hold with animals and the “cruelty of the raising, confinement, and slaughter of dogs and cats.”

It asks for Canada to ban the importation of any dog and cat pelts or fur – and outlaw the sale of those products in our country.

To sign petition e-123 you must first register on the ePetition website, because the signature will be recognized as a formal document. Once you’re registered, you can sign the petition here.

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DH Vancouver StaffDH Vancouver Staff

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