The EU is about to ban cat and dog fur imports, in a bid to stop the trade in pet pelts in China, where the way the animals are slaughtered is called "horrific." The fur is used as lining in boots and gloves, in stuffed toys, and in coats marked as everything from rabbit to Asian jackal.
If the ban passes, the European Parliament would also distribute information to member states on how to identify pet pelts, which are often fraudulently mislabeled. Despite preexisting bans in some EU countries, Europe and Russia are the main markets for the fur of the estimated 2 million cats and dogs killed in China each year. (More China stories.)