Animal welfare group Collective Fashion Justice says a line of children’s clothing sold in Australia tested positive for cat fur. On Wednesday, they announced that their lab found the fur in vests produced by fashion brand Suttons UGG.
These findings led multiple anti-fur groups to call for a ban on any clothing made from animal materials.
Cat fur vests: when labels lie
According to Collective Fashion Justice and Australia’s Animal Justice Party, the Suttons UGG vests they found in a Melbourne shopping center said “100 percent Australian sheepskin or wool” on the label. Forensic testing, however, found domestic feline and rabbit fur.
“Every Victorian would be shocked to know that they could go to the store and accidentally buy something made from cat fur, when they may have a cat at home themselves,” said Collective Fashion Justice founder Emma Hakansson, according to an ABC News report.
Following the outrage from feline fans, Suttons UGG confessed that the label was incorrect and that their manufacturer told them they made the kid vests from a “kind of special fur.” It’s unclear whether the fashion brand asked any follow-up questions.
Additionally, Collective Fashion Justice’s Instagram post says they found other mislabeled items sold in Australian shopping centers. Beanies claimed to be “100 percent acrylic,” but labs found them to contain fox and raccoon dog fur.
Worse, this isn’t the first time this has happened. The group first reported animal fur mislabeled as synthetic in 2021, and another cat fur incident in 2022. Australia banned cat fur imports in 2004, but the problem continues. Animal welfare activists are therefore calling for a ban on all fur sales in the state of Victoria.
“We don’t need another taskforce,” said Animal Justice MP Georgie Purcell. “We know that this is a problem, we know that the fur industry is cruel, we know that it’s outdated.”
“Animals shouldn’t suffer for vanity”
Instagram commenters expressed shock and horror at the collective’s findings. Domestic cats are particularly beloved around the world, and even those who don’t mind fur in general balked at this news.
“Shame on them!! wrote @fedoualicious. “Killing precious cats to make fast fashion that nobody wants to wear, horrible acts I hope however [sic] is responsible gets the same circumstances that these kitties went through.”
Some argued, however, that with biodegradable synthetic options available, there’s no need to use animal products for clothing at all.
“The fur should be banned!” said @laura_raving_locks. “There is no need for humans to wear fur in this day and age. Animals shouldn’t suffer for vanity.”
Others demanded accountability from Queen Victoria Market, where the activists located the items. The shopping center owners denied knowledge of the true contents of the clothes, passing the blame.
“We do not condone the sale of any goods of this nature and work with traders and relevant authorities to resolve specific situations when they are brought to our attention,” said a Queen Victoria Market spokesperson to ABC.
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