Responding to public outcry, the 27 governments that make up the European Union (EU) have voted to support a proposal banning the sale, import and production of dog and cat fur throughout Europe.
“We responded to hundreds of thousands of European citizens who demanded action in this area. This product is being used without the consumers being informed. It goes against the wishes and morals of the European citizens. For them, cats and dogs are pets,” EU Health Commissioner Markos Kyprianou said.
The dog and cat fur ban was approved unanimously by the EU Jan. 28, and it is expected to be adopted by late June. Fifteen EU nations already have bans in place, but an EU-wide ban is expected to result in consistent guidelines for all member nations.
The EU’s executive body has said that cat and dog fur is incorporated in items such as clothing, personal accessories and soft toys for children that are sold in Europe through either false labeling as other fur or hidden within products.
About two million cats and dogs are killed for fur each year, mostly in China, according to Humane Society International estimates. In December 2005, an investigation by the Humane Society International showed cat and dog fur was produced within the Czech Republic and other Eastern European states.