Dog and Cat Fur Trade
By: Lisa     

"Choose what you wish to believe, choose what you wish to see" 
- Black Label Society’s "We Live No More"

I have a high amount of respect for cultural diversity, and I understand that what one nation does may not be deemed appropriate by another. It’s all about embracing differences by realizing that people around the world live in varying conditions, under different religious and lifestyle beliefs. What works for you may not work for me, fine. But sometimes, when I’m being masochistic and looking up information online, I come across a horrific article about what another country or group of people is doing, and the respect goes out the window. Certain things, such as respect for all living things, should be universal, and not dependent upon culture or upbringing. What I wrote below is truly shocking, so if you don’t have a strong stomach, you may want to pass this time around.

    I was recently involved in a debate regarding the wearing of animal fur. A young man in his 20’s stated that he did not think animal fur should be outlawed because he owns a fur coat; and besides, it’s not as if the animals die, they just shave the animals for the fur. Luckily, the rest of us enlightened him to the fact that the animals do indeed die so that we can look fashionable. 
Now, I know PETA isn’t the best activist organization because they can be very radical and condescending. But, every now and then, I like to see what stories they’re headlining. Recently, they were able to expose China’s dog and cat fur trade.
(Visit http://www.jcruel.com/catdogfur.asp for the whole article.) 

     If you don’t want to own a piece of clothing that contains dog or cat fur, you may still inadvertently end up purchasing one. That’s because the fur is mislabeled, to make you think that it’s rabbit fur, for instance, and then shipped to the U.S. One retail store to not buy fur from is J.Crew, as they purchase all of their fur from China, and their CEO refuses to change his policy of importing fur from that area. Trust me, these animals aren’t just shaved and then set free. PETA sent their undercover investigators into China to follow the plight of our favorite domesticated pets. First, they stuff the cats and dogs into wire-mesh cages, sometimes pushing up to 20 cats into one tiny cage. 
(Want to see pictures of these guys in action? Visit http://www.animalsasia.org/index.php?module=3&lg=en)
Then, they ship the cargo cross-country, without providing the animals with any food or water. And why would they? After being on the road for days, jam-packed in small cages, dogs and cats were found dead, dying, severely wounded, and psychologically damaged. Up to 8,000 animals on one truck are then simply tossed, while still in the cages, out of the truck, to the ground 10 feet below, resulting in broken bones. These animals are then hanged, strangled with wire nooses, bled to death, and/or bludgeoned to make fur trim and trinkets. Now that the nauseating part’s over, let’s add salt to the wound, shall we? According to PETA, many of these animals still have collars, indicating that they were probably stolen pets.

     Now, while we’re on the topic of inhumane practices in Southern China, let’s take a look at some other animals that are slaughtered there, and let’s find out how these practices can lead to the outbreak of illnesses, including SARS. People in that region believe that eating wild animals will provide them with an admirable trait that the animal possesses. If that’s not primitive thinking, I don’t know what is. Once again, animals are crammed into small cages in these live markets, where people purchase them and have the choice of having them slaughtered on the spot. These animals are not provided shelter, given food or water, and are often crushed by the weight of animals above them. Common sense, and research, of course, tells you that this is a breeding ground for a myriad of parasites. Hungry yet? If you want to purchase a frog, they can skin it alive for you. Does your palate prefer turtle? They can easily have the animal’s shell ripped from its back, and its intestines removed, without even having to knock it unconscious. And with all the blood, feces, urine, and intestinal contents splattered all over the market’s streets, is it any surprise that people out there get SARS? And if you think America is immune because we don’t have live markets, think again. These markets exist in places including New York and California. For more on this, visit: http://www.hsus.org/ and search for the article, “Southern China Is Not the Only Source for Volatile Live Animal Markets” by Michelle Jacmenovic, where you’ll also find ways to help.

     About 4 million cats are eaten in China every year, as if these people don’t have alternative food sources. According to http://www.animalsasia.org/, restaurants have cages of live cats, waiting to be chosen by patrons for dinner. It is also known that the slaughter methods are intended to prolong the animals’ suffering, in the belief that it enhances taste and is medicinal. In China, they are even creative to the point that they throw the animals, conscious, into boiling water. But China isn’t the only country that eats these domesticated animals. Korea, the Phillipines, Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, and Asian portions of the former Soviet Union also partake in these dishes.

     My personal belief is that what goes around comes around when it comes to killing animals for food. If you do it the wrong way, you increase the risk of diseases spreading. I’m no vegetarian, but I understand that no animal should have to suffer a long, torturous death at the hands of a “highly intelligent and highly evolved human.” And animals shouldn’t be killed indiscrimately just so that we can look good in the winter. Therefore, below I’ve provided an easy way to help bring about a change.