BOOTLE traders face fines of up to £75,000 if they are caught selling products using cat or dog fur, in a bid to stop the slaughter of millions of the animals each year. A Sefton Council report claims that shoppers unwittingly buy goods containing animal fur - such as coats, gloves, boots, stuffed toys, and even homeopathic aids for arthritis - because exporters have placed misleading labels on them. Officers now have the power to prosecute firms after new powers conferred by the European Union followed a Continent-wide ban on the practice. Local animal rights campaigner Tony Moore, a founding member of Fight Against Animal Cruelty in Europe (FAACE), is delighted that the new legislation means the council can now convict traders. He said: “I have seen footage from China of animals killed in the most horrendous ways for their fur. “It’s not just fur coats, trimming is used on things like gloves and boot lining. “There is nothing wrong with fake fur, but real fur trims still involve severe animal cruelty. “I applaud anything Sefton Council is doing to prevent the import and export of animal fur.” Dog fur is often labelled as: Gae-wolf, sobaki, Asian jackal, goupee, loup d'Asie, Corsac fox, dogues du Chine, fake or exotic fur, with cat fur sometimes labelled as: house cat, wild cat, katzenfelle, rabbit, goyangi or mountain cat. “Many people are unwittingly deceived into buying garments made out of cat and dog fur due to mislabelling,” said Labour MEP Arlene McCarthy. “This law will put an end to these deceptive practices.” Other Euro MPs representing the North West have also backed the new laws, which will see Sefton Trading Standards investigate any cases brought to them by Southport people. Lib Dem MEP Chris Davies said: “More than two million cats and dogs are said to be killed each year in the Far East to supply the market with cheap fur used in coat and boot linings, pom-poms, and even in childrens’ figurines of toy cats. “This is a disgusting, cruel and unregulated business, with animals kept in appalling conditions.” It is believed that up to 10 adult dogs are killed to make a fur coat and 24 cats are needed for a cat fur coat with Europe and Russia reported to be the main markets. The new legislation, the ‘Cat and Dog Fur (Control of Import, Export and Placing on the Market) Regulations 2008, will see cat and dog fur imports stopped at UK borders as well as a maximum penalty fine of £75,000 for those that breach the ban. Sefton environmental protection director Bill Milburn said: “Effective use of these new powers will prevent thousands of animals being killed.” The rules exempt fur sold under strict conditions for educational purposes or for taxidermy. | 
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