02/13/07 Global Day of Action against Chinese Fur Industry

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Animal Friends joins demos in front of the Chinese embassies around the world and announces the Global Day of Action against Chinese Fur Industry

- 24 cats or 15 dogs for just one fur coat, over 2 million dogs and cats annualy killed for fur

On February 13, 2007, compassionate citizens from over 30 cities worldwide will gather in front of the Chinese embassies to protest the extreme brutality of the Chinese fur industry.

On this international day of action Animal Friends organization, as a member of Anti-Fur Coalition, seeks to call attention to the barbarity of the Chinese fur industry; to ask consumers to reject cruelty in the name of fashion by refusing to buy any fur or fur-trimmed items, and to boycott the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.

The demo, which will be organized as part of the "For Croatia without Fur" campaign, is scheduled to run on Tuesday, February 13, at 12 noon at the Chinese Embassy located at Mlinovi 132 in Zagreb.

China is the world's largest exporter of fur, producing some of the cheapest fur on the market, which is commonly sold as fur-trim on coats, gloves, purses, toys and trinkets. It is estimated that China kills more than 17 million animals a year for their fur. Raccoon dogs, foxes, minks, rabbits and even domestic dogs and cats are among the animals slaughtered for their fur, and they end up in stores all over the world, Europe and Croatia. There is not a single law that protects these animals.

Animals who are raised for their fur live in miserable conditions, confined to filthy, cramped wire cages. Disease, injury, and severe psychological distress are the norm on fur farms. Yet it is the way fur-bearing animals in China are killed that redefines the meaning of cruelty and makes China's fur industry the most barbaric in the world. Undercover investigations by Swiss Animal Protection/EAST International revealed the gruesome routine at Chinese fur markets, where workers club and beat animals, stomping on their heads and slamming them to the ground before cutting and then tearing their skin and fur from their bodies. Once skinned, the animals are tossed onto a heap of carcasses. However, these recently skinned animals continue to breathe. The animals look directly into the camera, blinking their eyes and whimpering for between five to ten minutes after their fur has been torn from their bodies. The findings of this investigation tuned out to be widespread and ongoing. There are still no laws in China that make these practices illegal.

On the demo activists will be holding posters with shocking photographs and the video footage which will be available on DVDs.

China also continues to routinely mislabel fur items exported abroad. Despite a U.S. ban on the sale of dog and cat fur, a recent investigation by the Humane Society of the United States found raccoon dog fur items being sold at several large chains including Burlington Coat Factory, Macy's and JC Penney. These items had been mislabeled as faux fur or raccoon fur. Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Greece, and Australia have already banned the import and sale of dog and cat fur, whilst the European Union is planning to legalize this ban as well.

Animal Friends calls for the ban on import and sale of dog and cat fur in Croatia. After the ban on fur farming and the ban on import of seals skin and seal products, this would be another step towards building an ethically conscious Croatia without fur.

For more information about the Chinese fur industry and a complete and up-to-date list of worldwide demonstrations, please visit at www.antifurcoalition.org.

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Protest in front of the Chinese Embassy 4Protest in front of the Chinese Embassy 3Protest in front of the Chinese Embassy 1Protest in front of the Chinese Embassy 5Protest in front of the Chinese Embassy 2

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