Canine-fur coats make comeback at J.C. Penney

[Judi Lynn]

Jan. 13, 2007, 12:49AM
Canine-fur coats make comeback at J.C. Penney

By DAVID KOENIG
Associated Press

DALLAS — J.C. Penney Co. removed some fur-trimmed coats from its racks around Christmas after animal-rights activists objected that the fur came from wild dogs in China.

Last week, the department-store company put the coats back on the racks — but only after directing employees to use marker pens to blot out the line on the label that identified the trim as raccoon fur.

The fur-collared leather coats were sold under the house brands St. John's Bay and a.n.a., and by this week they were marked down at a Penney's in Dallas from the original $349.99 to $74.99. About two dozen remained.

"We sold a lot of them during Christmas," said a saleswoman at a Penney store in North Carolina who spoke on condition of anonymity because she feared losing her job. "I hope people who bought those coats aren't animal lovers. But I guess if they're wearing fur, they're not."

By putting the coats back on the racks, Penney is charting a different course than rival Macy's, which last month pulled Sean John jackets after they turned out to contain the same fur. Macy's said it has a policy against selling products with dog fur.
(snip/...)

http://chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4467445.html

[DRoseDARs]

1. Well, J.C. Penney's just lost my business...

A Sharpie is supposed to magically make the coats NOT made of animals? Isn't this like the Bush Administration redacting some documents and magically making Abu Ghraib into just a regular, run-of-the-mill jail? I'm not going to rant and rave about the use of real animal fur - I'll leave that to animal rights activists because they're much better at it - but from an business ethics standpoint this was a pretty disgusting response by J.C. Penney's. :thumbsdown:

[Kagemusha]

6. The Sharpie blots out the original billing as imitation raccoon fur.

I read the "imitation" part when the story originally came out. What P.C. Penney is removing is false advertising (and I have no reason to doubt that J.C. Penney didn't know the true nature of the fur to begin with because the representation comes from the producer). (Edit: Just to throw this in... I'm a translator, albeit not of Chinese, and this feels like a language barrier communications foul-up to me. A US native would likely know that the key word in "raccoon dog" is DOG. To someone without such sensibilities, "imitation raccoon fur" (i.e. the fur of a raccoon dog) is exactly what the phrase suggests.)

The sharpie actually magically makes the coats made of animals, if you want to be specific. Perhaps you don't, since the bottom line is that the store's selling the rest of these things off to clear them out, raccoon dog fur or no.

[prole_for_peace]

15. actually they are marking out "raccoon" not "imitation".

from the article at the link "A new order went to stores last week, and the word "raccoon" was blotted out from the labels."

they are doing this so that people who have heard the story that "raccoon fur" means "raccoon DOG fur" will just see the word "fur" and won't know it is one of the controversial jackets and may buy it.

also from the article "We always knew we were selling real fur," Brossart said, "but we didn't want any customers to think they were wearing raccoon."

if they didn't want people to think it was actual raccoon they could have added the word "dog" instead of blacking out "raccoon" but they aren't interested in being truthfull. just in making the sale.



on edit: i can't spell this morning.

[Kagemusha]

32. I'm only more confused now and am glad I'm not touching the stuff

Whatever they did, it's just weird now.

[DRoseDARs]

34. Ditto.

What? My head hurts...

[Dutch]

2. Scum of the earth.

[klyon]

3. the world has a different view of dogs than we do

but China shouldn't try to sell them here given America's love the pooch

[Coventina]

8. Actually, dogs are revered in a lot more places than just America

And cruelty is cruelty, no matter where it is practiced.

[heliarc]

16. Yes, but

In some places canines are also a source of food... and whether we like it or not, the consumption of animals for our own survival also requires that we take a close look at our efficient and respectful treatment of the animal, and in my opinion, it means that the whole animal is used in some form or another and that no part of the animal is wasted. I'm guessing that some who posted on this thread buy leather in some form or another. I don't see why cows shouldn't be a part of this equation too. I'm guessing that not many who posted offer vegetarian diets to their canines who in the wild are predatory as well.

I'm a meat eater, and a gourmand, and I believe very strongly that we are predatory animals... but we are also highly intelligent and that should mean that we demand a high standard from our animal farming enterprises to actually consume and put to good use ALL PARTS of the precious animals that we foster and care for; That their lives are comfortable and clean, and that the conditions in which they are brought to our table are as humane as they can be.

There are heroes (I believe) in this field of industrial design. Temple Grandin is but one of these, and they should not be denied for their role in alleviating the stress induced by abattoirs in the animals who sacrifice for our needs for protein and sustenance.

http://www.answers.com/topic/slaughterhouse

And Temple Grandin's official site here:

http://www.grandin.com/

I know that these are controversial positions on these issues, and I respectfully present them to the DU'ers who respectfully have their own compelling arguments and positions.

[yewberry]

25. I have some differing opinions.

In some places canines are also a source of food...


Yes, in some places, dogs are killed for food. The US is not one of those places. Not only is there no demand for dog meat or fur in the US, it is actually illegal to sell dog and cat fur in this country.

{T}he consumption of animals for our own survival also requires that we take a close look at our efficient and respectful treatment of the animal, and in my opinion, it means that the whole animal is used in some form or another and that no part of the animal is wasted.

The fur in question is not a by-product of food production; it is generally from fur farms, especially fur farms in China, where there is no regulation of them. The carcasses are the by-product.

I'm guessing that some who posted on this thread buy leather in some form or another. I don't see why cows shouldn't be a part of this equation too.

Some probably do wear leather. Some do not, and for them, cows are part of the equation. I don't think that people who do wear leather are necessarily being hypocritical in condemning wearing or selling dog or cat fur. The trade is incredibly wasteful and cruel, and the product is not only illegal, it is culturally undesirable in a country that sees these animals as companions.

I'm guessing that not many who posted offer vegetarian diets to their canines who in the wild are predatory as well.

This is an entirely different discussion. The ethics of "want vs need" in another species have no bearing. Outside of a very few groups, people do not need fur to survive or thrive.


I have feelings about Temple that I'm not going to share here, because I don't think they'd be productive. We're coming from very different places on this subject. I do agree that if animals are going to be slaughtered, it ought to be done in the most humane way possible. However, animals themselves do not "sacrifice for our needs for protein and sustenance"-- we sacrifice them. They don't have any say in the matter.

These can be very inflammatory discussions, and there are some on both sides of the issue who will always make it into a flame war. I appreciate that you've clearly tried not to do that here.

[flvegan]

42. What's funny is the basis of your statement.

"...the consumption of animals for our survival..." is a bullshit statement without merit. We don't need to consume animals for survival. That's a fact.

And were we "highly intelligent" as you stated, we'd already know that.

[twenty4blackbirds]

20. American companies shouldn't try to sell to to Americans.

:shrug:

[soothsayer]

4. What do they smell like when wet? Ewww...

[file83]

10. I bet you would get some interesting looks from dogs though...

Please don't hurt me.

[pokercat999]

5. I've shopped at Penny's in the past.........never again.

[hang a left]

7. Penneys isn't the only store carrying this stuff.

Now I know what it is.

I did a ton of clothes shopping for Christmas. Fur trimmed coats and boots are all the rage right now. I will not buy real fur, just fake fur. However, I remember seeing tags, (and I can't remember where but it was several places and times) with the "raccoon fur" on them and I immediately went on to the next item.

People need to know that that raccoon fur is actually dog fur from China. That is absolutely awful.

I remember someone posted this terrible video a while back in GD. I never watched it but some DUer's were describing it in the same thread about how they skin these dogs while they are still alive.

I think I am going to be sick now.

[Luna_C_06]

9. I've seen that terrible video.

It's mentioned in the story too.

"Activists from Swiss Animal Protection posing as a documentary film crew say they went to China and photographed raccoon dogs and foxes being killed at large fur-harvesting operations.

The crew's disturbing video — posted on the Internet — shows animals clubbed or slammed on the ground. Some continue writhing, gasping and blinking as they are skinned alive."

[file83]

11. American consumers have created a Monster out of China...

They make EVERYTHING for us now. I can't believe that dog fur is labeled as "racoon fur". How in the hell can that be legal to sell in the US?

[yewberry]

18. It's semi-legal in the US.

There is no legal requirement to label fur in any way as long as the fur is worth less than $150. There's a loophole in the fur products labelling act for fur under that amount.

It is illegal to sell cat and dog fur in the US, but this is how some get around that regulation.

[Auntie Bush]

12. Well lets walk our dogs in front of Penny's and leave the doggie bag home.

[Patchuli]

17. I'm with you on that one!

How disgusting this is. I'm glad I already closed my Penney's account and told them to stick it a couple of years ago over a billing issue. Otherwise, I'd sure as heck be closing it now!

[BrklynLiberal]

21. What a fantastic idea. I would like to see a setup of the video showing the

animals being skinned alive for the coats..right in front of each store.
See if the people enjoy seeing where their fur trim is coming from.

[mongo]

33. You would surely be almost instantly arrested for trespassing

The mall is private property.

[jasmeel]

13. This is fucking disgusting! Contact JCPenney and tell them so.

http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/CustomerServiceSub.aspx?DeptID=12476&CatID=25278&CatTyp=CSR&cmResetCat=true

[jasmeel]

14. Maybe a phone call would be better?

http://www4.jcpenney.com/jcp/customerservicesub.aspx?CatTyp=CSR&CatID=12489&CmCatId=EXTERNAL|25278

[BrklynLiberal]

19. Another disgusting thing that "horrible" group PETA takes action against.

:eyes:

[williesgirl]

22. Penney's just lost this dog-lover's business for good.

[Judi Lynn]

44. Absolutely right, here, too. Never would have dreamed they'd do this. n/t

[AtomicKitten]

23. It is my understanding this is BANNED in the U.S.

from http://www.hsus.org/about_us/humane_society_international_hsi/hsi_europe/eu_commission_cdfur_directive.html

It is estimated that more than 2 million cats and dogs are raised in Asia solely for their furs and skins. While the United States banned this type of fur several years ago, the result of an HSUS campaign, its sale is still flourishing in Europe and Russia.

[yewberry]

27. There's a legal loophole

that allows fur worth less than $150 to be sold in the US without labels. That's how companies get away with importing dog and cat fur--legally, they don't have to label it, so who's to know?

[AtomicKitten]

29. ugh

I saw a documentary on HBO a few years back about international food sources that pointed out that although dog and cat slaughter in China is repulsive to Americans, our slaughter of cattle and pigs isn't any less inhumane, and indeed it is not. I simply don't understand if creatures of the earth must be utilized as a food source why they cannot be dispatched humanely. As caretakers of the planet, humans fail miserably in this regard.

[babydollhead]

24. what about the "ugliest dog in the world" as a coat?

anyone able to find a picture of that one?

[superconnected]

26. Ewwww. I'm telling everyone I know not to shop there.

It's worth printing up the news article and hading it to pennys customers as they walk in.

[XemaSab]

28. Or printing out little labels saying "dog fur"

and sticking them on the tags. :P

[The Stranger]

30. Bankrupt J.C. Penney Now!

[Judi Lynn]

43. Sounds good to me, by god. n/t

[LiberalFighter]

31. The Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000

The Dog and Cat Protection Act of 2000 prohibits importing, exporting, manufacturing, selling, trading, advertising, transporting or distributing any products made with dog or cat fur.

[truth2power]

35. I went to my local J.C. Penney's store this afternoon...

I remember looking at those coats before Christmas. At that time I specifically looked at the tag, because of the fur collar. I remember it said "raccoon." That was disgusting enough.

But when I checked out those same coats today, all the tags had the fur description marked out. What I find most reprehensible about all this is that J.C. Penney must find it shameful to sell these items. Otherwise, why would they need to engage in deception?

I think the coats were 75% off. I hope they rot on the racks.

Oh, and for anyone who makes an issue about leather vs. fur - with fur it's all about vanity. It's not about keeping warm. Not here in the US, anyway.

So, I don't know about anyone else, but I don't need some animal to be skinned alive so I can "pretty" myself with its skin. I'll wear a cloth coat. Thanks.

[Critters2]

36. There's a store here that sells the most beautiful faux fur coats

Made of acrylic and polyester, but you wouldn't know they're fake if the labels didn't say so. If they can make such great coats from synthetics, why on God's green earth are animals still suffering so we can wear their skin?! It makes no sense.

[otherlander]

37. I'm a vegetarian and won't wear anything made of animal, but...

I really don't see how this is any worse than leather shoes. Tell me? :shrug:

[yewberry]

38. Me, too, but

two things:

Leather is not illegal in this country.

Leather is labelled as such while this fur may not be, allowing people to believe that they're buying man-made products.

[LeftyMom]

39. Well, I'd never be caught dead in leather shoes, but nobody skins cows alive that I know of.

Also, the animals on these fur farms are kept in very small cages for their entire lives. It's horrific.

[flvegan]

40. Sorta comes down to the when and how the "hide" is taken, I guess.

Leather...after the "meat" harverst.

Fur...well, you probably get the point.

Plus, you have intent. Many folks can justify a "by-product" of the food industry. Tougher still to justify torture for vanity alone.

[otherlander]

41. Makes sense. nt

[Judi Lynn]

46. Damned right. Many people HAVE to wear shoes, but many draw the line, as you say,

at brutal killing for something as cheap and ugly (in character) as vanity.

How could a person NOT grasp this? Thanks.

[kdpeters]

45. "Do you have a cat in your pocket?"

That's what i asked the woman on the train one morning. Of course, I figured out it was just the lining of her jacket pocket, but I can't resist a good comedic situation so i went with my initial impression. A few people found it amusing. It was later that a co-worker told me about dog fur being marketed as faux fur that I thought it might look like a cat because it might have actually been a cat at one time. :) If people knew, they wouldn't buy it. That's the reason for all the duplicity.