Please Don't Buy These Products
Karen Johns -- SooNews.ca
Friday, June 15, 2007, 3:02PM
With Australia and the USA banning all imports of Cat and dog fur from China, and the EU soon to ban the fur, it's most likely that Canada will become the new dumping ground for these cat and dog fur products.
Richard Swain, the US Humane Society undercover investigator, and a former Maryland police officer, conducted an 18 month investigation into the slaughter of cats and dogs for their fur in China.
He told the press.."In China I have seen warehouses the size of football fields piled to the ceiling with dog and cat fur waiting to be exported to the West".
Other cat and dog skin products include "rawhide' chews" which are actually made from the hides of dogs.
These products of everywhere. At least three shops in Sault Ste. Marie have these products for sale. When contacted, the owners of these businesses had no idea that the cute toys, keychains and statues were made from real cat and dog fur..
When they purchase these items for their shops, they are shown a certificate that states that the products are made from "goat and rabbit fur, by-products of China's food industry".
These certificates are fraudulent.
Identical toys, bought in Holland, were tested for DNA by the Academic Medical Centre of Amsterdam. Results proved conclusively that they were made of dog hair.
China is notorious for deceitful labeling of ingredients. Toothpaste, cough syrup, cat and dog food...the list goes on.
Currently, there is a wonderful woman on the east coast who is having DNA testing done on many of these products to prove to government officials that this trade exists and is in fact widespread over Canada.
Another concern is the fact that these products contain high levels of chromium, a tanning chemical.
When Australia did toxicity tests on these products, it was discovered tht the levels of chromium in these cute cat and dog products far exceeded the safety levels.
The manufacturers and distributors get away with it because they are not sold as "toys" , but rather, decorative items.
Tell that to children. With many of these toys saying things like "I love you" , barking or meowing they are very appealing to young children, who more than likely would like nothing better than to play and cuddle with them.
So what is our government doing about it??? NOTHING.
Letters to Trade Minister David Emerson are answered saying that Canada does not want to put any restrictions on the import of any kind of fur as it may hurt our exporting of seal fur.
And what of safety concerns? Well we'll have the answer to that one too. the same woman paying out of her own pocket to have DNA tests done, is also having the products tested for chromium levels.
Most people have no idea that this fur even exists in our country. They are shocked when they learn about it; and most people are appalled that the chew sticks they give their canine friends may indeed be dog skin, contaminated with who- knows-how -many toxic chemicals..
Avoid these products. Don't buy anything for your pet from China. Cat toys, chew sticks, furry mice. They at least could be made from cats and dogs, at worst they probably contain harmful chemicals. As for the furry figurines, don't buy them for your children. The chemicals in them could be harmful to your child.
For some reason it appears that these imports from China are not subject to the same rigorous safety testing as our home grown products.
Please don't buy these products. If you do you are contributing to the slaughter of cats and dogs, killed soley for their fur.
http://www.soonews.ca/viewarticle.php?id=12879 (Check this link to view the accompanying video)