Latest news with #SuttonsUGG
Sky News AU
5 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.
The Independent
8 hours ago
- The Independent
Forensic testing reveals ‘wool' clothing made of domestic cat fur
An investigation by Collective Fashion Justice and Australia 's Animal Justice Party uncovered mislabeled animal fur products being sold in Victoria. Children's vests from fashion brand Suttons UGG, labelled as '100 per cent Australian sheepskin or wool', were found to contain domestic cat and rabbit fur through forensic testing. Two beanies sold at a Queen Victoria market in Melbourne, labelled as 100 per cent acrylic, were revealed to be made from fox and raccoon dog fur. These discoveries have prompted animal rights groups and the Animal Justice Party to call for a statewide ban on the sale of all animal fur in Victoria. Previous efforts include a 2004 ban on cat and dog fur import/export and a 2020 investigation by Consumer Affairs Victoria that found widespread mislabeling of fur products prompted warnings to be issued to fur sellers. Outrage after cat fur clothing sold in Australia
The Independent
13 hours ago
- The Independent
Outrage after cat fur clothing sold in Australia
Clothes made of cat fur were discovered being sold in Victoria despite the Australian government's promise to crack down on the practice, an advocacy group said. An investigation by Collective Fashion Justice and Australia's Animal Justice Party found that children's vests containing cat fur were sold while being labelled as fake fur or sheep wool. Forensic testing revealed the vest sold by fashion brand Suttons UGG was made of domestic cat fur and rabbit fur. However, the vest was labelled as "100 per cent Australian sheepskin or wool". Similarly, two beanies with pom-poms sold at a Queen Victoria market in central Melbourne were found to be falsely labelled as 100 per cent "acrylic". A test by British fibre analysis firm Microtex revealed they were made from fox and raccoon dog fur. The discoveries have led to calls from animal rights groups and the Animal Justice Party for a statewide ban on the sale of all animal fur. The Australian Fashion Council, earlier this yea,r banned the use of fur, wild-animal skins, and wild feathers from runways. "Every Victorian would be shocked to know that they could go to the store and accidentally buy something made from cat fur, when they may have a cat at home themselves," Collective Fashion Justice founder Emma Hakansson said. Suttons UGG, which has retail stores in Sydney and Melbourne, in a statement to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, admitted the label on the vest was "wrong". A spokesperson told the broadcaster they had been informed by the manufacturer that the vest was made from a "kind of special fur", and the company could not "100 per cent confirm" whether that included cat. The Australian government banned the import and export of cat and dog fur in 2004. In 2020, a Consumer Affairs Victoria investigation into the mislabelling of fur products found that every product independently tested by the taskforce was wrongly labelled. Shortly after, fur sellers were issued warnings. Georgie Purcell, the Animal Justice Party MP for Northern Victoria, has called for the sale of fur to be banned. "The message from the community couldn't be clearer – fur is out of fashion. Whether it's cat, dog, rabbit, or fox – the one constant is that it's all cruel," she said. "The time for regulation is done. The only thing left to do is to completely ban fur, just as other jurisdictions around the world have already done."
