San Francisco May Ban Fur Sales.

The City of St. Francis, patron saint of animals, may become the first US city to ban the sale of fur. The San Francisco Commission on Animal Control and Welfare has asked the city's Board of Supervisors to approve an ordinance banning the sale of fur within city limits. The ban would cover large department stores and small specialty shops.

The fur-ban campaign was launched over the summer in the wake of revelations that more than 2 million dogs and cats are slaughtered every year - mostly in Asia - for fur coats and jackets, glove and boot linings, ear muffs, hats, collars, cuff trim and toys. The US is a major consumer of such items.

Pressure for a ban grew after the release of an explosive two-year undercover investigation conducted by the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS) and German independent journalist Manfred Karremann. The HSUS report -- complete with video footage and still photos shot with hidden cameras -- graphically documented how domestic dogs and cats in China, Thailand and the Philippines are captured, stolen and murdered for their pelts and skins. The investigation also revealed that many of those forced to slaughter these animals are children.

The HSUS sleuths revealed that "animals are killed by hanging, beating, stabbing [and] drowned with gallons of water pumped down tubes in their throats." Sometimes these pets are "skinned while still alive." During their captivity, HSUS reports, "dogs and cats are kept in deplorable conditions without adequate heat, food, or water, and are forced to witness close-up the brutal killing of their fellow animals as they await their own turn to die."

The US Congress was so shocked by the brutality of the HSUS information, that it swiftly passed a bill outlawing the import, export, manufacture and sale of cat and dog fur. President Clinton signed the bill last November. Unfortunately, says Chin Chi, the former animal welfare commissioner who co-wrote the ordinance with Commission Chair Elissa Eckman, this has not stopped the illegal fur trade.

"We are trying to find an effective way to implement federal law," says Chi. One problem, Chi says, is that dog and cat fur "is often disguised by mislabeling and dyeing, so unless very expensive tests are carried out, it will be hard to distinguish what kind of fur it really is."

Indeed, cat and dog fur goes under many aliases, including China wolf, Asian jackal, wildcat, goyangi, katzenfelle and Gae-Wolf. labeling is not required for fur garments valued at less than $150, but it is items in that price range that account for most of the illegal sales. Popular retailers such as Burlington Coat Factory and Hallmark were surprised to discover they were selling the pelts of pets.

San Francisco Supervisors Chris Daly, Matt Gonzalez and Jake McGoldrick support the measure. Says Gonzalez, "I think anyone with good politics would support a fur ban." Only four supervisors need support the measure for it to land on the ballot. The San Francisco Green Party, the Harvey Milk lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Democratic Club, the Haight Ashbury Neighborhood Council and the Coalition of labor Union Women also pledged support.

If it goes to the voters, Chi is optimistic that a fur ban will be enacted.

"San Francisco voted for the ban of cruel leghold traps [in 1998] by 70 percent, the largest majority in the state," Chi recalled. "A ballot initiative would be a perfect public education tool and I have no doubt that the voters would pass it."

For more information, contact HSUS [2100 L Street, NW, Washington DC 20037, [phone], www.hsus.org]. Video from the investigation can be viewed at www.hsus.org/ current/dc_fur/fur_title.html.

Jackie Dove is a San Francisco journalist and host of the KUSF (90.3 FM) radio show, Animal Nation (http://animalnation.net).