Earlier today, The HSUS filed a lawsuit in D.C. Superior Court against six of the nation’s largest retailers and fashion designers—Andrew Marc, Saks Fifth Avenue, Macy’s (which also owns Bloomingdale's), Lord & Taylor, Dillard's, and Neiman Marcus—for their failure to act like responsible businesses.

© Lauri Sippu
Garments with raccoon dog fur trim are still mislabeled.

Here's the back story: In recent years, we at The HSUS have worked to expose false advertising and labeling of animal fur products. Back-to-back HSUS investigations in the winter of 2006 and 2007 showed that department stores and designers were selling coats trimmed with fur labeled as faux or the wrong species. We saw it most with fur from raccoon dogs, and we’ve seen it called everything from faux fur to raccoon, and even “polyester.”

Some companies cleaned up their act after we brought it to their attention. But some others persist in their consumer deception.

We'll keep you apprised on the progress of our case, and we also expect to introduce federal legislation when the new Congress convenes in 2009. We do not intend to let this issue go.