Sean John, P. Diddy, Mr. Coombs, whatever the name, the clothing label marketed by the rap music impresario is taking some heat now that it has been discovered that the faux fur on two styles of hooded jackets being sold in Macy's were made from a dog known in Asia as the raccoon dog.
The raccoon dog, called that because of its facial similarity to a raccoon, is native to Japan where it is known as tanuki. The dog is also found in other parts of Asia and some parts of Europe.
Wayne Pacelle, president and CEO of the Humane Society of the United States, told The Associated Press that this case is reflective of an "industry-wide problem." Designers such as Mr. Coombs and retailers, said Mr. Pacelle, "aren't paying close enough attention to the fur trim they are selling."
The problem is especially serious in goods imported from China. The raccoon dogs, along with other canines and cats, he said, are "killed in gruesome ways." (For those of strong stomach, the AllCreatures.org web site contains a page with a description and photos of raccoon dogs being killed.)
Orlando Veras, a spokesman at Macy's, said the retailer had removed the jackets and that it had a "long-standing policy against the selling of any dog or cat fur. This policy is clearly communicated to all suppliers."
Sean John and Macy's are not alone in selling faux fur jackets that turned out to be made from raccoon dogs. The Humane Society of the United States has found fur-trimmed jackets from Baby Phat, Andrew Marc, MaxMara and Calvin Klein all to be from the animal. Retailers including Burlington Coat Factory, Bloomingdale's, J.C. Penney and Saks Fifth Avenue have removed the items from stores.
The sale of dog and cat fur is banned in the U.S. and now the Humane Society is lobbying Congress to pass an amendment to the Dog and Cat Protection Act to spell out that raccoon dogs are also covered.
Discussion Questions: Will the sale of items with faux fur be hurt as a result of this and other cases where it turns out animals were killed to make a product? What responsibility do the designers and retailers have to make sure that what they say they are selling is just that?