CANADIANS AGAINST DOG AND CAT FUR
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Wednesday, February 8, 2006
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF PROTEST AGAINST CHINESE FUR
DEMONSTRATION AT CHINESE EMBASSY- Monday, February 13, 2006
Are you wearing dog or cat fur?
On Monday, February 13 at 11:00 – 12:00 noon, Canadians Against Dog and Cat Fur will gather in front of the Chinese Consulate, 3380 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC, Canada is one of over 25 cities participating in the International Day of Protest Against Chinese Fur. The group urges Canadians to boycott all goods made in China, until China enacts and enforces a ban on the trade in dog and cat fur and the live-skinning of any fur-bearing animal.
An estimated two million dogs and cats are being rounded up and slaughtered for their fur annually in Thailand, the Philippines, the Czech Republic, and principally, China.
In an undercover investigation of the “dog and cat” fur industry,” the Humane Society of the United States videotaped the horrifying way in which the animals suffer and die. Imprisoned in overcrowded and filthy cages, they are often beaten before being skinned alive. The film shows skinned but living dogs still conscious in their agony. Some of them wore collars indicating they were stolen pets.
Merchants of this gruesome trade boast that dog and cat fur is cheaper to produce than “fake.” The fur is processed and dyed to resemble expensive fur. It is also used to trim the hoods of coats and jackets, to line ski boots and gloves, and for items such as figurines and other collectibles.
Dog fur products have been sold as China wolf, Asian wolf, Asian jakal, Gae wolf, Pommern Wolf, loup d’Asie, Sobaki, Mongolian dog fur, Goupee, and dogue de Chine. Cat fur products have been sold as rabbit, maopee, goyangi, Katzenfelle, Mittel, natuerliches, chat de Chine, Wildcat, and gatto chinesi.
Falsely labeled (or not labeled at all), dog and cat fur is being channeled into Canada and the United States reaping enormous profits for the traders. Canadians are not aware that they are buying into in this grisly trade.
Legislation must be enacted to prevent its import as Greece, Italy, France, Switzerland, and Belgium have done. The trade in dog and cat fur is equally abhorrent to the Australians and Americans who have also slammed the door on this market. And in the United Kingdom, Paul and Heather Mills McCartney are leading the charge for an entire European Union ban.
The United Kingdom’s Mary-Alice Pollard who represents the International Organization for Animal Protection is recruiting singers, songwriters and musicians from around the world. Bob Dylan, Van Morrison and Jimmy Page kick-started a “musical petition” to be presented to the Chinese government. And Maria Daines, another supporter of the group, has written a song entitled “I Am The Owner Of This Coat.”
Canada's is poised to double its trade with China—its second largest trading partner—by 2010, as part of the new “Pacific Gateway Strategy.” If we do not close our doors to this unconscionable trade, as other foreign markets have done, Canada will become an appalling dumping ground for dog and cat fur products.
The International Day of Protest Against Chinese Fur calls consumers of conscience to reject animal cruelty in the name of fashion by joining the global boycott.
The International Day of Protest against Chinese Fur will be held in front of Embassies and Consulates in cities around the world. Among them: London, Dublin, Moscow, St. Petersburg, Washington, San Francisco, New York City, Milan, Lisbon, Madrid, Barcelona, Paris, Nice, Mexico City, Caracas, Săo Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Tel Aviv, Riga, Bangkok, Zagreb, Tasmania, Belgrade and Vancouver.
The International Day of Protest Against Chinese Fur was organized by Jane Halevy in Tel Aviv. Protest demonstrations in many cities around the world will be held at their relevant embassies or consulates. At the conclusion of the demonstration, a letter addressed to the President of China, as well as, a report on the Chinese Fur Industry will be given to the Chinese ambassador. A copy of the letter will be available to the Press that day.
For further information, contact: Le VanLe, Canadians Against Dog and Cat Fur at
604-438-0473 levanle@excite.com and/or
Jane Halevy, International Day of Protest Against Chinese Fur, Tel Aviv, at 972-50 200 54 11 janeart3@hotmail.com
Websites:
http://fur.arforum.org
http://www.heathermillsmccartney.com/dogcatfur.php
http://groups.myspace.com/SingersSongwritersMusiciansSayNoToFur
http://www.hsus.org/wildlife/fur_and_trapping/betrayal_of_trust_the_global_trade_in_dog_and_cat_fur/
http://www.mariadaines.com/special.html
Although difficult to imagine that such barbarism and cruelty
routinely takes place on a massive scale, the evidence can be seen by
viewing the videos found at the links below:
Quicktime:
http://www.petatv.com/tvpopup/Prefs.asp?video=trent_fur (warning: very disturbing content)
http://www.tierschutz.com/movies/pelz_quicktime_low.mov
http://www.tierschutz.com/movies/pelz_quicktime_high.mov
http://www.animal-protection.net/furtrade/chinafur_video.html
Mediaplayer:
http://wwwtierschutz.com/movies/pelz_mediaplayer.wmv