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Herald Sun
6 hours ago
- Herald Sun
Horror as 'sheepskin' children's vest found to be made of cat and rabbit fur
Don't miss out on the headlines from Lifestyle. Followed categories will be added to My News. A children's vest advertised as being '100% Australian sheepskin or wool' has actually been found to contain the fur of two domestic cats, sending shockwaves through Aussie shoppers. The findings were released by fashion advocacy group Collective Fashion Justice, following an investigation by British fibre analysis firm Microtex. The incident has led many to call for a crackdown on the sale of animal fur - with some suggesting it be banned altogether. Want to join the family? Sign up to our Kidspot newsletter for more stories like this. RELATED: I tried the viral Tokyo Headspa to see if it's worth it 'This vest has one cat skin at the front, another cat skin at the back, as well as rabbit fur' Shoppers have been left horrified as a number of fur pieces sold in a Melbourne shopping centre have been found to have been mislabelled, with one children's vest in particular containing the fur of two domestic cats. The vest, sold by fashion brand Suttons UGG - not connected to UGG or UGG Since 1974 - was made of domestic cat fur and rabbit fur, despite being labelled as '100% Australian sheepskin or wool'. The tests also found that two beanies purchased from Melbourne's Queen Victoria Market had pompoms containing fox and raccoon dog fur - though they were labelled as being acrylic. According to founder of fashion advocacy group Collective Fashion Justice, Emma Hakansson, this was extremely concerning. 'This vest has one cat skin at the front, another cat skin at the back, as well as rabbit fur,' she said. Animal Justice MP for Northern Victoria Georgie Purcell said that the seller responded saying they were told it was a 'special kind' of fur - which was ultimately cat. "Consumers could be out there, buying this, and then going out wearing domestic cats," she said. Queen Victoria Market said it was "unaware of mislabelled fur items" being sold at the market. "We do not condone the sale of any goods of this nature and work with traders and relevant authorities to resolve specific situations when they are brought to our attention," a QVM spokesperson told the ABC. 'We don't want reform' According to Hakansson, while this may be a new concern, this issue has been going on for years, citing numerous occasions where fur has been mislabelled illegally since their investigation began in 2021. In 2020, Consumer Affairs Victoria also launched an investigation into the mislabelling of fur products, which found every product independently tested by the taskforce was wrongly labelled. 'People have a right to know what they're buying, and to be able to shop in alignment with their values,' she said. 'Every single time we have sent fur for testing the lab has confirmed it was illegally mislabelled and this has been true for years now.' Ultimately, the two confirmed they were calling for an overarching ban on the selling of fur in Australia - with the issue well past a need for reform. 'I took this fur vest to a meeting with the Minister for Consumer Affairs, and shamefully, it is not the first time that the Animal Justice Party has brought the issue of cat fur being sold in Melbourne,' Purcell said. 'They need to get their shit together and work out who is responsible in order to address this issue. 'We don't want reform. We know that all fur is cruel, whether it comes from a fox, a rabbit, a raccoon dog, a dog or a cat.' Originally published as Horror as shoppers learn what 'sheepskin' vests are made of
Sky News AU
14 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Horror as 'sheepskin' vest sold in Melbourne shopping centre is revealed to be made from two domestic cats, sparking outrage from animal welfare advocates
A children's vest sold as "100 per cent Australian sheepskin or wool" has been found to contain the fur of two domestic cats, igniting renewed calls for a crackdown on fur sales in Victoria. The discovery was made after forensic testing by UK-based fibre analysis firm Microtex confirmed the vest, sold by Suttons UGG, was made of both domestic cat and rabbit fur. The product was being sold in a Melbourne shopping centre. "This vest has one cat skin on the front and one cat skin on the back, as well as rabbit fur," Collective Fashion Justice founder Emma Hakansson, who ordered the tests after receiving a tip-off from a concerned shopper, told the press on Thursday. Suttons UGG, which operates shopfronts in Sydney and Melbourne, is not affiliated with Australian manufacturer UGG. The forensic analysis also revealed two beanies sold at Queen Victoria Markets were mislabelled as acrylic despite containing pompoms made from fox and raccoon dog fur. Raccoon dogs (a mix between raccoons, dogs, and wolves) are often subjected to extreme cruelty in overseas fur farms, with advocates claiming they are electrocuted, bludgeoned, or skinned alive. The revelations have triggered fresh demands from both the Collective Fashion Justice and the Animal Justice Party for a complete ban on fur sales and imports across Victoria. "Consumers could be out there buying this, and then going out and wearing domestic cats," Animal Justice MP for Nothern Victoria Georgie Purcell said. While the import and export of cat and dog fur has been banned in Australia since 2004, misleading product labelling remains a growing concern. Under Australian Consumer Law, companies can face penalties of up to $50 million, and individuals up to $2.5 million, for false or misleading claims about products. In 2020, Consumer Affairs Victoria found that every single fur item tested as part of its investigation was mislabelled. Several businesses were issued warnings, and at least one committed to ending fur sales altogether. Hakansson said the practice of mislabelling fur is widespread. "Every single time we have sent fur for testing the lab has confirmed it was illegally mislabelled and this has been true for years now,' she said. Off the back of the latest discovery, Ms Purcell is urging the Victorian Government to introduce an immediate statewide fur ban. "This isn't the first time that we've found cat fur being sold by a Melbourne retailer – and if the Allan Government doesn't act, it won't be the last," she said. The MP emphasised that the Victorian Government had no problem quickly banning machetes in response to the recent youth crime wave. "We think they (the government) should treat this with as much seriousness," she told the ABC. "We don't need another task force. We know that this is a problem, we know that the fur industry is cruel, we know that it's outdated." The revelations sparked fury online, with social media users expressing shock and disgust. "This is so disgusting. Thank you for speaking up about this," one person wrote on Instagram. "So horrific, thank you for investigating," said another. A third commenter said that "not all fur is cruel" but agreed that "all fur should be labelled correctly". has contacted Suttons UGG for comment.
