You ever wonder where the fur came from that trims your coat collars?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raccoon_Dog
Raccoon dogs are animals that resemble raccoon but are listed in the canine family. They are native to Japan, Southeastern Siberia and Manchuria but were introduced to the European part of the Soviet Union and have spread rapidly since. Raccoon Dog populations have declined in recent years due to hunting, fur trade and fur trapping, urbanization, an increase of animals associated with human civilization such as pets and abandoned animals, and diseases that may be transmitted between them.
An investigation by three animal protection groups into the Chinese fur trade in 2004 and part of 2005 asserts that there are an estimated 1.5 million raccoon dogs being raised for fur in China. The report claims that killing methods include first hitting the animals on the head with a stick or slamming the animal into the ground to stun them, but that "a significant number of animals remain fully conscious during the skinning process and started to writhe and move around." Video taken during the investigation?
http://www.all-creatures.org/anex/raccdog.html ...shows a raccoon dog apparently conscious during and after the skinning process. A 2005 follow-up article by the Beijing News reports: "On this particular day around half the raccoon dogs and foxes were skinned alive like this."
On 22 December 2006, fur-hooded jackets made by the Sean John clothing company were pulled off the shelves of Macy's Department Stores when the nation's largest animal protection organization concluded that the garments were actually made from raccoon dog. Previously advertised as a faux fur product, they were later identified. Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, added that the issue is an industry-wide problem and its investigation demonstrated that retailers and designers aren't paying close enough attention to the fur trim they are selling.
The Humane Society of the United States launched an investigation into one of the jackets manufactured for the rapper Jay-Z's Rocawear clothing line, and discovered it contains real fur from a raccoon dog. The organization claims the raccoon dogs, which are indigenous to Asia, are skinned alive for their coats.
More video links to animal fur in China: URL REMOVED BY ADMIN [NO LONGER A VALID LINK]