Burlington Coat Factory, the nation's largest coat retailer, pulled hundreds of men's parkas from its stores after a vendor admitted they were trimmed with fur from slaughtered dogs.
The Humane Society of the United States objected after an investigation and said the coat controversy was part of an extensive international trade in pelts of domesticated dogs.Stephanie Kenyon, a spokeswoman for the Fur Information Council of America in Washington, condemned the practice of using cat or dog fur in garments, though federal law doesn't prohibit the practice.
"Our position is that dog and cat fur should not be sold in the United States," she said. "Culturally, it goes against our grain to do so. It's just not something we want to see happening."
Ric Bramble, a spokesman for 250-store Burlington Coat, said Tuesday their errant vendor admitted the coats included fur from dogs slaughtered in China.
"When we found about this, we were very angry," he said. "We were outraged that a substitution was made and that the purchase order actually called for coyote trim and it was something else."
In a report released Tuesday, the Humane Society said the fur is making its way into the United States in products ranging from gloves and scarves to parkas and trinkets.
Millions of dogs and cats in China and other countries are being treated cruelly and slaughtered for their fur using barbaric methods, according to the Humane Society.
Investigators posing as U.S. fur importers said dogs and cats in Asia are hung, bludgeoned, clubbed or bled to death for their fur, the Humane Society said.
A dozen dogs and two dozen cats are killed for a single coat, the group said. The fur is not used for full-length coats, but for trim and accessories, the group said.
The Humane Society said a parka bought at a Burlington outlet store in Secaucus, N.J., tested positive for dog fur, while results on another purchased in Greenbelt, Md., were inconclusive. Labels in both read "Mongolia dog fur."
The Humane Society said once it is processed, cat and dog fur is difficult to distinguish from other furs. The products are often mislabeled, the group said.
"When you pick up a coat that's labeled 'coyote' it could just as well be German shepherd," said Humane Society spokesman Brett West.
Kenyon said any reputable fur dealer would know the difference.
"I'm not an expert in cats, but I know what they would look like," said Edward Graf, president of New York's exclusive Ben Kahn furs. "I can tell a house cat."
The Burlington Coat spokesman said the company bought 480 of the dog fur trimmed parkas and was unaware of the switch until it was informed by the Humane Society. He refused to identify the vendor, but said it acknowledged that the coats were trimmed with dog fur.
The company, with stores in 42 states, sold about 140 of the parkas and customers are being offered a refund or store credit, Bramble said.