LONDON (AFX) - Cheap fur, including the pelts of cats and dogs, is flooding into the European Union from China, an animal welfare charity warned.
The British-based Care for the Wild International (CWI) said the growth of anonymous online shopping had led to a sharp increase in the availability of fur from Asia on the internet.
CWI chief executive Barbara Maas said yesterday the charity had found household pet skins available online, with a dog pelt costing less than 10 stg.
'We were also offered skins of domestic cats for less than 2.60 pounds,' she said.
'Our research shows how even the skins of domestic animals can be easily and cheaply bought and delivered directly to your doorstep.'
CWI urged the British government to outlaw importing cat and dog fur.
Struan Stevenson, a member of the European Parliament (MEP) for Scotland, who champions a ban on such fur across the 25-member EU, said: 'After six years of campaigning resulting in unilateral bans on cat and dog fur in five EU countries and Switzerland, the majority of MEPs are determined to see an EU-wide ban put in place by the end of this year.
'The public wants us to seal our external EU borders to this evil trade. We have to take action.
'An immediate UK ban responding to today's evidence would send an important signal to the (European) Commission and Council that this must be a top EU priority.'
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