British Columbia

Kit and Ace misleading consumers on use of fur, says humane society

The animal rights group says the luxury fashion retailer is labelling one of its canine-related fur products as Asiatic raccoon in an effort to distance itself from the domestic dog.

Animal rights group says luxury retailer is trying to distance one of its fur products from the domestic dog

Luxury fashion retailer Kit and Ace has been accused of misleading consumers by mislabelling at least one of its fur products. (Kirk Williams/CBC/Wikipedia)

The Vancouver Humane Society believes a Vancouver fashion retailer is misleading consumers by saying the fur on one of its items belongs to raccoons rather than dogs.

Luxury retailer Kit and Ace, run by the family of Lululemon founder Chip Wilson, says the fur pom-pom on top of its Berkeley toques comes from the Asiatic raccoon.

However, the animal rights group argues the Asiatic raccoon belongs to the canine family.

"We just think they are trying to use a different name to avoid giving the impression that the animal is somehow connected to a domestic dog which people have a natural affinity for," said Peter Fricker with the Vancouver Humane Society.

The issue came to light as the result of an investigative story by the National Observer into the retailer's labelling of Asiatic raccoon fur.

When the allegations were brought forward to Kit and Ace, the company responded by saying they were conducting a "detailed investigation" and will be releasing more information upon completion.

More wolf than dog

The labelling of the Asiatic raccoon has been a contentious one.

Despite the animal's classification as a dog, it is not closely related to the domestic dog as a species.

In a letter dated in 2008 from the Smithsonian Institute's director, Dr. Christian Samper pointed to scientific studies that showed the Asiatic raccoon and domestic dog "definitely are not the same genus or species."

The Federal Trade Commission also reviewed labelling policies for retailers who use the fur and voted to keep the name of the animal as the Asiatic raccoon.

This provides little comfort to Fricker and those at Vancouver's Humane Society. 

They ultimately want fashion companies to stop using fur altogether.

"In many ways this issue is irrelevant because in our view, no animal should have to suffer and die for the sake of fashion," said Fricker.
 

In a letter to the U.S. House of Representatives, Dr. Christian Samper of the Smithsonian Institute insisted the Asiatic raccoon and domestic dogs are not closely related to each other. (CBC)

With files from Kirk Williams and Cory Correia