Online fashion firms have been
selling items trimmed with “faux” fur that has actually come from
rabbits.
This has been revealed in tests
carried out by Humane Society International (HSI) on coloured pom-poms on a
jumper from boohoo.com and a headband from accessories firm Zacharia. Both
firms sell through Amazon and both boast anti-fur policies, claiming they were
unaware that the fake fur was real.
Because of the appalling
conditions animals are kept in on fur farms, especially those in China, real
fur can be produced more cheaply than fake. The Advertising Standards Authority
(ASA) has banned ads promoting the items from the two companies, on the grounds
that they are misleading.
In the past “faux”
fur tested by HSI has been found to come from domestic dogs and cats, and
foxes.