A controversy is growing after it was revealed that cat leather and rabbit fur were actually used in a children's vest sold by a famous Australian wool brand.
According to foreign media, including the New York Post, on the 23rd (local time), the vest sold at the 'Suttons UGG' store in a shopping mall in Melbourne was labeled on the outside as '100% Australian sheep leather or wool,' but an inspection by the British textile analysis organization Microtex found that the vest contained the skins of two cats on the front and back, while the remaining parts included rabbit fur.
Emma Håkansson, the representative of the fashion ethics group 'Collective Fashion Justice,' pointed out at a press conference, 'Consumers bought the vest thinking it was made from wool, but in reality, it involved cat leather on both the front and back, and some parts contained rabbit fur.'
George Purcell, a member of the Animal Justice Party, said, 'The seller claimed it was made from a 'special type of fur', but in fact, it was cat fur,' adding, 'Consumers went about wearing clothes containing cat fur without knowing.'
Animal protection groups and politicians have urged strong measures to eradicate the sale of animal fur products and misleading labeling in light of the incident.
Håkansson criticized, 'Since 2021, we have been continuously investigating cases of false labeling of animal fur products,' stating, 'The Consumer Affairs Victoria also conducted an investigation into the forgery of fur product labels in 2020, and it turned out that all products subjected to the investigation were mislabeled.'
She emphasized, 'Consumers have the right to know the exact composition of products,' adding, 'Illegal labels have been confirmed in all fur products submitted for testing, and such deceptive practices have been ongoing for years.'
Purcell also stated, 'Whether it's fox, rabbit, or cat, all animal fur is cruel,' and added, 'We must clarify responsibility and establish a system to address this issue.'
The shopping mall stated, 'We do not tolerate the sale of such products,' and explained, 'We are currently cooperating with merchants and relevant authorities to address the issue after it became known.'