Hi all
you may well have already received this from Animals Australia but just in cast you have not. Please circulate as widely as possibly, especially in the information sheet attached. If Cabinet is going to talk about this, there′s a good chance a "win" is on the cards on this campaign for HSI.

To those people opposed to the cruel fur trade,

You may already know, Humane Society International has recently exposed that many items currently being sold in Australian shops contain fur sourced from domestic cats and dogs. While our government is hopefully going to do something soon (apparently the PM′s office has contacted HSI to say they are tabling a recommendation to impose a ban on the import of dog and cat fur when Cabinet meets again in mid April), these figurines are still on sale in many outlets such as market stalls, homeware stores, gift shops and florists.

Please find attached an info sheet which can be used in targeting outlets selling the figurines (by either handing to staff or putting a copy in their letterboxes).

Please forward the flyer to friends and family and encourage them to make copies to give to people selling the fur figurines.

Please copy and distribute or contact the office on 07 3300 9320 or e-mail:- vegsocq@tpg.com.au for a copy with pictures.

NOTICE:Many fur figurines sold in Australia are actually made
with real CAT and DOG fur!
More than two million dogs and cats are
killed each year for use in the international
fur trade.Dog and cat fur is being sold as
hats,gloves,decorative accessories on
coats,and even toy stuffed animals.
Recently,Humane Society International
investigators purchased a fur-trimmed coat
and a toy cat from a Sydney store.DNA
testing revealed that both products were
made with dog and cat fur .
HSI have carried out global investigations
into this cruelty,and have found:
•The death toll is conservatively estimated
to be in the range of two million dogs and
cats killed annually for their fur.Usually,
10 to 12 dogs and 24 cats are killed to
manufacture one coat -more if puppies
or kittens are used.
•Inhumane means are employed to kill
animals for their fur.Investigators
witnessed and recorded animals dying
by slow suffocation,hanging,
bludgeoning and clubbing,or bleeding to
death.All of these methods involve
severe panic,trauma,and needless
prolonged suffering.
•Dog and cat fur is aggressively marketed
and sold in the United States,Europe,
Asia and Australia.Dogs and cats may be killed in one country,processed in another,and finished
products sold anywhere in the world.
•Australian laws do not prohibit cat and dog fur entering Australia,and labelling requirements are
wholly inadequate -allowing consumers to be misled.
Read more at:http://www.infurmation.com/investig/dog_cat1/dogsan00.htm
How you can help

Don ’t purchase real fur products or products with real fur
trim,even if it ’s labelled as from another animal such as
“rabbit ”.Irrespective of what the label or the retailer says
about the fur ’s origins,it may be from a cat or dog.

Don ’t sell real fur products or products with real fur trim,
especially those imported from overseas.

If you see fur products on sale,complain to the store ’s
manager.Show them this information.

Ask our Government to ban the import and sale of cat and
dog fur products in Australia:email The Hon Senator Chris
Ellison,Minister for Justice and Customs on
senator.ellison@aph.gov.au (note:email correspondence
should include your full name and postal address.
Responses will not be made via email)and Prime Minister
John Howard via http://www.pm.gov.au/email.cfm
March 16,2004