MEPs demand end to cat and dog fur trade

10.49.00am BST (GMT +0100) Wed 20th Jun 2007

London's Liberal Democrat MEP Baroness Sarah Ludford has welcomed a vote in the European Parliament supporting an EU-wide legal ban on trade in cat and dog fur. She said:

"This will help end the scandal of two million dogs and cats slaughtered each year, often kept in horrific conditions and skinned alive. Since a ban took effect in the United States, more cat and dog fur has appeared in Europe. Therefore a Europe-wide ban is vital if we are to stamp out this vile trade for good."

"Many consumers in Europe simply do not know what they are buying. What is labelled as fake fur has in some cases been cat and dog fur. Londoners need to know that what they are buying does not originate from tortured cats and dogs."