Skinned Alive - Cats And Dogs Killed For The Fur Trade

In China, Thailand and the Philippines  more than 2 million cat and dogs are killed in the following ways each year: 

	Hanging by the neck from a wire noose,
	water is poured down their throat through a hose until they drown,
	bludgeoning them with metal rods or slam them on hard surfaces, causing broken bones and convulsions, but not always immediate death.

Many remain conscious while they are skinned are struggle to defend themselves to the very end.

When the fur is finally peeled off over the animals heads, their naked, bloody bodies are thrown onto a pile. Some of the animals hearts are still beating five to 10 minutes after they are skinned. One investigator recorded a skinned raccoon dog on the heap of carcasses who had enough strength to lift his bloodied head and stare helplessly into the camera.

These animals end up as gloves, coats, hats or fur trim; their skins are used in the production of drums and other musical instruments. Around 24 cats are required to make a fur coat, or around 10-12 dogs. This number is obviously higher if kittens and puppies are used.  The furs made into coats  are virtually indistinguishable from fur such as mink or fox and are often deliberately mislabeled as fur from other species, so the bottom line is if you’re buying fur, there’s no way to tell whose skin you’re wearing.

While most people will be rightly horrified and distressed at the way in which cats and dogs are bred, stolen, transported, abused and killed for their fur, they will hopefully realize that there is no difference between this and the murder of other animals for their fur. 40 million animals are killed each year for their fur: reared on factory farms that cause them to go mad and mutilate themselves and each other, or they are caught in vicious leghold traps and left to starve, freeze, drown, be beaten to death, or gnaw off their own limbs in a futile attempt to escape. This is the reality of the fur trade. The trade does not care whether the animals they kill are wild animals, are bred specifically for their fur, or are stolen pets from someone's garden. Those in the fur trade have no conscience, no morals. They are governed by greed and selfishness.

What Can You Do To Help?

Go to www.chainofcompassion/chinafurtrade. The webpage it will have the same information you are reading now. Print as many copies of it as you like, or print one, go to a copy store and have them make copies of it for you. Then spread the word! Give this to everyone you know: at home, at work, at school, your vet's, pet stores, or go around your neighborhood and put them in mail boxes. Then hopefully more caring people like yourself will do the same thing. It’s like a chain letter but it’s for a good cause. Please start your Chain Of Compassion today!