US Coat Factory Dupes Holiday Shoppers into Buying Real Fur from China

[Guest guest]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

Burlington Coat Factory Dupes Holiday Shoppers into Buying Real Fur

from China, Falsely Advertised as " Faux Fur "

 

Humane Society of the United States Threatens to Sue Retailer Over

Deceptive Ads

 

WASHINGTON (December 11, 2006) - Today, The Humane Society of the

United States notified clothing retailer giant Burlington Coat

Factory that the company is illegally marketing jackets with

inhumanely produced real fur from China as " faux fur, " in clear

violation of numerous state and federal consumer protection laws.

 

" Retailers should not be preying on consumers' growing preference for

humane, synthetic fur by passing off questionable Chinese fur coats

as fashionable 'faux fur' garments, " said Michael Markarian,

executive vice president of The HSUS. " The Chinese fur industry has

a long and infamous history of the worst animal welfare abuses and

even killing dogs and cats for their fur, and we intend to commission

DNA tests to determine if Burlington is bringing dog fur into this

country illegally. "

 

The letter sent today by The HSUS's Vice President of Animal

Protection Litigation, Jonathan Lovvorn, notified Burlington that its

nationally distributed 2006 Holiday Insert advertises " Down Jackets

With Faux Fur Trim " - but that a jacket pictured in the advertisement

is in fact trimmed with real fur of questionable Chinese origin. The

letter warns the retailer that " The HSUS may commence litigation

against Burlington to ensure that consumers are not induced into

purchasing inhumane fur products by Burlington's false

representations. "

 

To date, individuals residing in at least four states and the

District of Columbia have purchased a down jacket advertised as " with

faux fur trim, " but have gotten real fur instead. Individuals have

reported seeing prominent full-color poster displays at their local

Burlington outlet advertising this jacket as " Baby Phat Down Jackets

with Faux Fur Trim. " One sales clerk in Burlington's Falls Church,

Virginia, store even offered assurances that all of Burlington's

coats are " fake fur " and that " they used to sell [real fur] [but]

they don't sell any more. "

 

The real fur jackets being marketed by Burlington as " faux " contain

internal labels stating that they are trimmed with " Racoon [sic] Fur

of China Origin " or " Genuine Coyote Fur of China Origin. " Due to

the lack of animal welfare laws and prevalence of garment factories,

China currently ranks as one of the leading exporters of fur and

supplies half of all of the fur products that enter the United States

for sale. Animals documented being raised and killed in China -

often in barbaric ways - include fox, mink, and, of particular note,

raccoon dogs, a species of canine whose fur resembles raccoon.

 

In 1998, the Burlington Coat Factory was found to be selling

fur-trimmed garments labeled as " Mongolia Dog Fur, " one of the many

names used for domestic dog fur from China. In response, the U.S.

Congress enacted the Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000, which

prohibits the import of any dog or cat fur product.

 

However, a loophole in the current Fur Products Labeling Act provides

the fur industry an easy way to slip dog and cat fur onto garments,

leaving American consumers, shopping off the rack in local department

stores, uninformed and unprotected. The HSUS is working to close

this loophole through federal legislation, the Truth in Fur Labeling

Act of 2006, introduced by Congressman Mike Ferguson (R-NJ) and

Congressman Jim Moran (D-VA). Although Congress adjourned last week

without taking action on this bill, The HSUS intends to seek

reintroduction of the measure in 2007. With the amount of confusion

over fur in the marketplace, as evidenced by today's news of

Burlington's false ads, The HSUS says it is more important than ever

for consumers to have the best product information possible.

 

" Some years ago, we discovered that Burlington Coat Factory was

selling dog fur to an unwitting American public, and now it has been

found to be passing off real animal fur as faux, " added Markarian.

" It's time for the company to stop selling animal fur, so that

Burlington shoppers can feel confident any fur-type garments they

purchase in the store are truly faux. With the many synthetics and

fashionable alternatives available, there's simply no reason to sell

fur and cause the unnecessary pain and suffering to the animals

killed for the product. "

 

Each year, over 50 million animals worldwide, such as dogs, cats,

raccoon dogs, minks, foxes, bobcats, beavers, raccoons, and lynx, are

killed for their fur. By supporting fur-free designers, sponsoring

fashion design contests and advertising in industry publications, The

HSUS's Fur Free Campaign works with both consumers and the fashion

industry to encourage decisions that reject the use of fur and

instead promote warm and fashionable alternatives. To learn about the

HSUS's Fur Free Campaign and what you can do to take action, visit

our website <http://www.furfree.hsus.org/>www.furfree.hsus.org.

 

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CONTACT: Tracey McIntire: 301-548-7778;

<tmcintiretmcintire

 

NOTE: Video footage and photos of the advertisements and coats are available.

The Humane Society of the United States is the nation's largest

animal protection organization with nearly 10 million members and

constituents. The HSUS is a mainstream voice for animals, with active

programs in companion animals, disaster preparedness and response,

wildlife and habitat protection, marine mammals, animals in

research, equine protection, and farm animal welfare. The HSUS

protects all animals through education, investigation, litigation,

legislation, advocacy and field work. The nonprofit organization is

based in Washington and has field representatives and offices across

the country. On the web at <http://www.hsus.org/>www.hsus.org.

 

The Humane Society of the United States

2100 L St., NW

Washington, DC 20037

<http://vocuspr.vocus.com/VocusPR30/www.hsus.org>www.hsus.org

Promoting the Protection of All Animals

 

 

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