Every year, hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats, just like the ones we keep as pets, are brutally slaughtered for their fur. This million-dollar fur industry, based in a number of Asian regions, is not governed by animal cruelty legislation of any kind. The animals live in deplorable conditions - they are kept cold for thicker coats, kept weak for slaughter and are crowded into small crates and bags for transport. At the end of their short lives, they are inhumanely slaughtered for their pelts.
Companion animal fur is used for a variety of items including the lining for gloves and boots, trim on garments, hats, blankets and even toys or figurines.
Products that use cat and dog fur are banned in countries all over the world. It has been ten years since the United States passed the Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000, which blocks all imported products made with cat or dog fur from entering the country. Recently, the European Union implemented a similar act, effective January 1, 2009.
In Canada, products that include cat and dog fur remain legal and can be imported, exported and sold in Canada without labels. Additionally, with the global market closing, Canada is becoming an attractive target for producers.
On September 17, 2009, Anita Neville, M.P. for Manitoba's Winnipeg South Centre, introduced a private member's bill, Bill C-439, an Act to amend the Hazardous Products Act and ban products made with dog or cat fur from crossing the border into Canada.
Please support Bill C-439 and encourage all Members of Parliament across all party lines to help ban these products from entering Canada.
