I NEVER thought that I would be on the same side as Alec Baldwin. Sunday night, Larry King's substitute host had Alec Baldwin, among others, as guests.
He talked about the dog and cat fur trade which is booming in China, but also in the Philappines as well. These dogs and cats are either raised and or captured, live horrible lives and then are often skinned alive. The United States has banned the import of these skins and fur products but the type of fur only has to be labled if the product is valued at $150 or more. This fur is used to for glove linings, trim on coats, jackets, novelty animals. I noticed that there are some stuffed animals in the mall that seem to be made of real fur at a kiosk. I would like to know what kind of fur. Sometimes the lables say, "wild cat" or "jackel". That isn't so. It is dogs and cats. The dogs used are often shepherds, chows, retrievers, mixed breeds. Most of the film footage taken was too grisly to be shown. What I saw was appalling. The filming was done with an "open camera" by investigators pretending to be interested in establishing trade. Under cover, hidden filming in China can get you in very big trouble, so what was seen was what they weren't ashamed of. One of the big problems and what would help to put these "businesses" out of business, would be if the European Union would ban the import of these furs. They won't. There is a big market in Europe for dog and cat fur.
He talked about the dog and cat fur trade which is booming in China, but also in the Philappines as well. These dogs and cats are either raised and or captured, live horrible lives and then are often skinned alive. The United States has banned the import of these skins and fur products but the type of fur only has to be labled if the product is valued at $150 or more. This fur is used to for glove linings, trim on coats, jackets, novelty animals. I noticed that there are some stuffed animals in the mall that seem to be made of real fur at a kiosk. I would like to know what kind of fur. Sometimes the lables say, "wild cat" or "jackel". That isn't so. It is dogs and cats. The dogs used are often shepherds, chows, retrievers, mixed breeds. Most of the film footage taken was too grisly to be shown. What I saw was appalling. The filming was done with an "open camera" by investigators pretending to be interested in establishing trade. Under cover, hidden filming in China can get you in very big trouble, so what was seen was what they weren't ashamed of. One of the big problems and what would help to put these "businesses" out of business, would be if the European Union would ban the import of these furs. They won't. There is a big market in Europe for dog and cat fur.
BTW, bears and other wildlife aren't much better off in China, nor are people for that matter. 
aw:
