Latest news with #furban
The Independent
19-06-2025
- The Independent
Forensic testing reveals ‘wool' clothing made of domestic cat fur
An investigation by Collective Fashion Justice and Australia 's Animal Justice Party uncovered mislabeled animal fur products being sold in Victoria. Children's vests from fashion brand Suttons UGG, labelled as '100 per cent Australian sheepskin or wool', were found to contain domestic cat and rabbit fur through forensic testing. Two beanies sold at a Queen Victoria market in Melbourne, labelled as 100 per cent acrylic, were revealed to be made from fox and raccoon dog fur. These discoveries have prompted animal rights groups and the Animal Justice Party to call for a statewide ban on the sale of all animal fur in Victoria. Previous efforts include a 2004 ban on cat and dog fur import/export and a 2020 investigation by Consumer Affairs Victoria that found widespread mislabeling of fur products prompted warnings to be issued to fur sellers. Outrage after cat fur clothing sold in Australia
Daily Mail
19-06-2025
- Politics
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Horror as cat fur vests are discovered being sold at a popular shopping centre in Melbourne
A children's vest made from the skin of two cats being sold in a popular shopping centre in Melbourne has ignited calls for a crackdown on the sale of fur. A joint investigation by the Animal Justice Party and the Collective Fashion Justice party discovered the origin of the vest after the fur was tested in a lab. The jacket, likely to be made from the skin of two cats, as well as rabbits, was labelled as 100 per cent 'sheep skin'. The vests are being sold by the Suttons Ugg chain store. Two beanies with pom poms labelled as 100 per cent 'acrylic' were also tested, with the results revealing they were made from fox and raccoon dog fur. Animal Justice Party MP for Northern Victoria Georgie Purcell called for the sale of fur to be banned as she fronted reporters on Thursday. 'The message from the community couldn't be clearer – fur is out of fashion. Whether it's cat, dog, rabbit, or fox – the one constant is that it's all cruel,' she said. 'The time for regulation is done. The only thing left to do is to completely ban fur, just as other jurisdictions around the world have already done.'
ABC News
18-06-2025
- ABC News
Advocacy group finds cat fur clothing sold in Victoria despite import ban
Clothing containing cat fur is still being sold in Victoria while being labelled as fake or sheep's wool, an advocacy group says, years after a state government taskforce vowed to crack down on the practice. Forensic testing conducted by British fibre analysis firm Microtex has found a children's vest sold by fashion brand Suttons Ugg was made of domestic cat fur and rabbit fur, despite being labelled as "100 per cent Australian sheepskin or wool". Suttons Ugg is not connected to UGG Since 1974, the Australian brand. The tests, ordered by fashion advocacy group Collective Fashion Justice, also found two beanies purchased from Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market had pompoms made from fox and raccoon dog fur, but were labelled as acrylic. Raccoon dogs are fox-like animals that advocates say are often electrocuted, bludgeoned to death, or skinned alive for their fur. The discoveries have prompted animal welfare advocates and the Animal Justice Party to renew calls for a statewide ban on the sale of all animal fur, and a blanket ban on fur imports, arguing consumers are unknowingly purchasing real fur produced in cruel conditions overseas. "Every Victorian would be shocked to know that they could go to the store and accidentally buy something made from cat fur, when they may have a cat at home themselves," Collective Fashion Justice founder Emma Hakansson said. Under consumer laws, businesses can be fined up to $50 million, and individuals $2.5 million, for making false or misleading representations about products. In a statement to the ABC, Suttons Ugg, which has retail stores in Sydney and Melbourne, admitted the label on the vest was "wrong". A spokesperson said they had been informed by the manufacturer that the vest was made from a "kind of special fur", and the company could not "100 per cent confirm" whether that included cat. Australia banned the import and export of cat and dog fur in 2004, but the Australian Border Force has reported no seizures in the 20 years since the prohibition came into force. In 2020, Consumer Affairs Victoria launched an investigation into the mislabelling of fur products, which found every product independently tested by the taskforce was wrongly labelled. Fur sellers were issued warnings, and one committed to a fur ban as a result. Yet, years later, animal welfare activists say the practice remains widespread in Victoria. Emma Hakansson said consumers could look for certain traits to check they were not buying items potentially containing animal hair. "If the ends of the fur are quite wispy instead of blunt, then it's likely to be animal fur," she said. "If you look at the middle, you might find skin attached, whereas it would be on a woven, fabric backing if it was faux fur. You can also see that faux fur shines a little bit differently — there are a few different tells." Collective Fashion Justice, alongside the Animal Justice Party, has been testing fur products since 2021. Ms Hakansson said that in that time, they had found mislabelled fur in several markets, individual retail shops, and chain stores across Melbourne. The cat fur vest tested by the group was found after a tip-off from a member of the public. Animal Justice MP Georgie Purcell said it shouldn't be down to consumers to be able to spot mislabelled fur, and that Victoria should introduce a statewide ban on the sale of all fur. "The [Victorian government] had no issue immediately banning machetes, we think they should treat this with as much seriousness," Ms Purcell said. "We don't need another taskforce. We know that this is a problem, we know that the fur industry is cruel, we know that it's outdated." Louise Ward, programs lead at animal welfare organisation Four Paws Australia, said it was clear Victorian and federal authorities were unable to enforce laws banning the mislabelling of fur products and the sale of cat and dog fur, and a complete ban on the import and export of fur was needed. "Fur farming would not meet the basic welfare standards we have in Australia, and yet we're importing that cruelty from other countries," Ms Ward said. Australian Border Force (ABF) did not respond to questions asking how it monitored attempts to import cat and dog fur, and how many seizures had been carried out since Australia's ban was introduced, but told the ABC it had granted six permits for keepsakes of pets. However, Ms Ward, in email correspondence seen by the ABC, was told in April by ABF's Permits and Strategic Goods that no seizures had been performed since 2004. "There have been no reports of seizure of illegal imports of dog or cat fur since the introduction of the prohibition," the ABF spokesperson said. Last month, Switzerland became the first European country to ban the import and export of "cruelly produced" fur. In the UK, a private members' bill that would prohibit the import and sale of fur was introduced into parliament this week and is set to be debated later in the year. It followed a high-profile campaign and petition that received more than 1.2 million signatures. A spokesperson for Consumer Affairs Victoria said it "takes reports of business misconduct seriously and will investigate and take action where necessary." Home Affairs did not respond to requests for comment. Queen Victoria Market said it was "unaware of mislabelled fur items" being sold at the market. "We do not condone the sale of any goods of this nature and work with traders and relevant authorities to resolve specific situations when they are brought to our attention," a QVM spokesperson said.
Yahoo
15-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Fur imported and sold in UK should be banned
Fur imported and sold in the UK should be banned, an MP has said. While fur farming has been banned in Wales and England since 2000, many types of fur are still legally imported and sold. Ruth Jones, Labour MP for Newport West and Islwyn, has introduced a Private Members' Bill to Parliament that would prohibit the import and sale of new fur products. The British Fur Trade Association (BFTA) accused Jones of being the "wardrobe police", adding the ban would be "unenforceable and unworkable" and may breach trade agreements with the EU and the US. How my challenge to stop buying new clothes has gone Designer brings Welsh myths to London Fashion Week Miners' strike designs help Welsh fashion find voice Jones said: "Twenty years ago, a Labour government banned fur farming because it was cruel and inhumane. "If we think it's cruel and inhumane to farm it, why are we importing it? It doesn't make sense." The MP added: "Caged animals are kept in dreadful, inhumane conditions just to provide fur for a declining industry. "Faux fur could do the job just as well." Sonul Badiani-Hamment, UK director for animal welfare organisation Four Paws, recently presented a petition with one-and-a-half million signatures in support of a fur-free Britain, alongside other campaigners. "There isn't any justification for the cruelty experienced by these animals on fur farms," she said. "Country after country are leaving the market. Sweden recently committed to decommissioning the fur trade entirely." The British Fashion Council attended one of the campaign group's events in Parliament to support the proposed bill, she said. Ms Badiani-Hamment said she had noticed the fashion industry changing, adding there were "very few designers left in the country handling fur". "It's just not desirable." But Mel Kaplan, who works at Vintage Fur Garden in London, said demand for vintage fur was growing. "We have queues going out the door in the winter," she said. "Over the past three years, there's been a resurgence in the want for vintage fur. "I think younger people especially are looking more to vintage clothing in general. I think fast fashion has taken a decline in popularity." Furriers in the UK sell a variety of fur that has been imported from other countries. The import or export of cat and dog fur, and products containing their fur, is banned. There is also a ban on selling cat and dog fur in the UK market. The new bill calls for a ban on all new fur being imported or sold in the UK and would not apply to vintage items. Ms Kaplan said all the coats and jackets in their store were from the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. The shop has a rigorous process when acquiring fur products to ensure that what they are selling is vintage, not new fur, she added. Ms Kaplan also said vintage fur was sustainable, adding: "If it were to be discarded, it would go back into the earth, everything - all the fibres and the fur is natural. "I don't support the making of new furs, I don't support the farming and I don't support the sale of it, but I can get behind a piece that was already made with the intention of being worn so it can carry on being worn." In a statement, the BFTA warned that a ban could cost thousands of skilled British jobs. "Standards in the fur sector are among the highest of any form of animal husbandry with rigorous and comprehensive animal welfare standards, third-party inspection and strict international and national laws," it said. "Fur is popular as evidenced by the number of young people choosing to wear it who are rejecting oil-based fast fashions often made in sweatshop conditions. "MPs like Ruth Jones should respect that others are happy to wear high-welfare fur, rather than acting like the wardrobe police." The second reading of the bill is expected to take place in Parliament on 4 July. Meanwhile, the UK government said it was building a "clear evidence base to inform future action", with an updated animal welfare strategy due to be published later this year. French fashion giant to ban use of fur Queen Camilla will buy no more real-fur items Soaring cost of King's Guards' real fur bearskin caps revealed
BBC News
15-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Fur imported and sold in the UK should be banned says Welsh MP
Fur imported and sold in the UK should be banned, an MP has fur farming has been banned in Wales and England since 2000, many types of fur are still legally imported and Jones, Labour MP for Newport West and Islwyn, has introduced a Private Members' Bill to Parliament that would prohibit the import and sale of new fur British Fur Trade Association (BFTA) accused Jones of being the "wardrobe police", adding the ban would be "unenforceable and unworkable" and may breach trade agreements with the EU and the US. Jones said: "Twenty years ago, a Labour government banned fur farming because it was cruel and inhumane."If we think it's cruel and inhumane to farm it, why are we importing it? It doesn't make sense."The MP added: "Caged animals are kept in dreadful, inhumane conditions just to provide fur for a declining industry."Faux fur could do the job just as well."Sonul Badiani-Hamment, UK director for animal welfare organisation Four Paws, recently presented a petition with one-and-a-half million signatures in support of a fur-free Britain, alongside other campaigners. "There isn't any justification for the cruelty experienced by these animals on fur farms," she said. "Country after country are leaving the market. Sweden recently committed to decommissioning the fur trade entirely."The British Fashion Council attended one of the campaign group's events in Parliament to support the proposed bill, she said. Ms Badiani-Hamment said she had noticed the fashion industry changing, adding there were "very few designers left in the country handling fur". "It's just not desirable."But Mel Kaplan, who works at Vintage Fur Garden in London, said demand for vintage fur was growing."We have queues going out the door in the winter," she said. "Over the past three years, there's been a resurgence in the want for vintage fur. "I think younger people especially are looking more to vintage clothing in general. I think fast fashion has taken a decline in popularity."Furriers in the UK sell a variety of fur that has been imported from other countries. The import or export of cat and dog fur, and products containing their fur, is banned. There is also a ban on selling cat and dog fur in the UK new bill calls for a ban on all new fur being imported or sold in the UK and would not apply to vintage Kaplan said all the coats and jackets in their store were from the 1950s, 60s, 70s, and 80s. The shop has a rigorous process when acquiring fur products to ensure that what they are selling is vintage, not new fur, she added. Ms Kaplan also said vintage fur was sustainable, adding: "If it were to be discarded, it would go back into the earth, everything - all the fibres and the fur is natural."I don't support the making of new furs, I don't support the farming and I don't support the sale of it, but I can get behind a piece that was already made with the intention of being worn so it can carry on being worn."In a statement, the BFTA warned that a ban could cost thousands of skilled British jobs."Standards in the fur sector are among the highest of any form of animal husbandry with rigorous and comprehensive animal welfare standards, third-party inspection and strict international and national laws," it said."Fur is popular as evidenced by the number of young people choosing to wear it who are rejecting oil-based fast fashions often made in sweatshop conditions."MPs like Ruth Jones should respect that others are happy to wear high-welfare fur, rather than acting like the wardrobe police."The second reading of the bill is expected to take place in Parliament on 4 July. Meanwhile, the UK government said it was building a "clear evidence base to inform future action", with an updated animal welfare strategy due to be published later this year.
