Below (at the bottom) is the video that set me on this path of blogging.  It is extremely graphic and extremely disturbing, so please be warned that you will be damaged from watching it.

It is offered by PETA, and I am not a PETA supporter.  (More on PETA in a later post.)  Don’t let the messenger dilute the power of the message.  The truth is that there are no animal welfare laws in China, no accountability for the abuse, neglect and torture of animals of any kind.  China is the largest fur exporter in the world.

According to the BBC, a significant portion of the furs that are sold as exotic animal fur (fox, raccoon, etc.) is fraudulently mislabeled domestic dog or cat fur. Dog and cat fur can be hard to detect when dyed, requiring the use of hi-tech systems – mass spectrometry or DNA testing.  Some of the euphemisms used to mislabel dog and cat fur are Gae-wolf, sobaki, Asian jackal, goupe, loup d’Asie, Corsac fox, dogues du Chine, katzenfelle, goyangi, and mountain cat.  Millions of animals of multiple species die every year in China to support its fur industry.

Regardless of what animal the fur is stripped from, the treatment of the animals and the methods used to kill and skin them are barbaric with animals frequently being skinned while they are still alive.  They are crammed into cages and hurled onto cement and tortured every second prior to being ruthlessly and gruesomely killed.

We should all be ashamed to be human while this occurs anywhere in the world.

Please do not buy fur products or any products trimmed in fur.  There is nothing glamorous about torture.