Md. Bill Seeks to End Mislabeling of Fur CoatsImagine discovering that the trim on your designer coat, labeled as faux fur, actually was rabbit. Or raccoon.
Or even dog hair. Some of the biggest names in retail -- Bloomingdale's, Saks Fifth Avenue and Burlington Coat Factory --
have acknowledged that they sold coats made with rabbit or dog hair but labeled or advertised as different species or as artificial. They say they were misled by the coatmakers and have corrected the labels in recent months, after the Humane Society reported its findings from a two-year investigation.
The Humane Society said it had discovered those stores, and others, were selling coats that were trimmed with the hair of raccoon dog, a species of dog indigenous to China and other Asian countries that closely resembles raccoon.
Although U.S. law prohibits the importing of dog and cat fur, federal regulations don't require manufacturers to label the type of fur if the piece is valued at less than $150. So a lawmaker from Montgomery County plans to introduce legislation today that would change the rules in Maryland by requiring all manufacturers and retailers selling fur coats in the state to identify the species and country of origin on their labels, regardless of value.
Washington Post
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