Ireland set to ban use of cat and dog fur

IRELAND is prepared to ban the import and use of cat and dog fur in line with EU proposals, Agriculture Minister Mary Coughlan said. The fur, often cruelly stripped from live animals, is being used in clothing and ornaments, sometimes disguised as fake fur or simply not labelled at all.

Its use has been outlawed in several countries but not in Ireland where the Government admitted it does not know the level of imports or how much is in circulation in the country. There have been no labelling rules either for the fur which is frequently called different names including rabbit and wildcat to disguise its true origin. Minister Coughlan said there was a moral obligation to look after companion pets.

Ireland would rely on the expertise from EU laboratories to identify any such fur attempting to come into the Irish market.