Dog Fur is Showing Up on Big Labels

That "faux fur" collar on your favorite jacket may actually be dog fur, taken from raccoon dogs, skinned alive, The Humane Society (HSUS) said in a statement released on Wednesday.

The current law has a massive loophole, which allows clothing trimmed with $150 worth of fur to be sold without a label. Animal fur is typically sheared and dyed in such a way to appear "faux," which could lead you to grab that jacket off the rack without knowing you are purchasing real animal fur, and quite possibly dog fur.

The particular fur in question comes from raccoon dogs, a nocturnal resident of Asian and northern European forests.

Lawmakers have had enough. Reps. Jim Moran (D-Va.) and Michael Ferguson (R-N.J.) re-introduced federal legislation on February 7 to protect American consumers and animals from the fur trade.

It is illegal to use dog and cat fur in the United States. This legislation requires labeling on every fur garment. It would also ban the import and sale of raccoon dog fur.

"The raccoon dog and domestic dogs are being killed in inhumane ways for the U.S. trade," Moran told FOX News.

The HSUS has graphic video available on their web site, showing the horrific treatment of the raccoon dogs, as their heads are slammed into the ground and many are skinned alive.

The ongoing investigation by the HSUS has uncovered raccoon dog fur on some of the biggest names in fashion.

The report shows dog fur sold online as "faux" by Bluefly.com, Nordstroms and Tommy Hilfiger.

Some fur on coats labeled "raccoon," but which are actually raccoon dog, were being sold online by Loehman's (via Smartbargains.com), Dillard's, and Neiman Marcus. Berdorf Goodman and Footlocker, also selling the garments, labeled them as "rabbit."

There were unlabeled or misidentified raccoon dog fur on jackets sold by DKNY, Lord and Taylor, Ross, D.E.M.O., Rocawear, Macy's, Baby Phat, J.D. Penney and Burlington Coat Factory.