Brian has given his full backing to new legislation that has passed through the European Parliament this week putting an end to the cruel trade in Cat and Dog fur across the EU.

Brian has followed the issue closely in Parliament over the past year said; "It is great that MEP's across the political spectrum have given their backing to the ban on cat and dog fur. What we need now is for Member States across the EU to firstly implement this legislation and secondly make sure this ban is properly enforced.

It is estimated that over 2 million cats and dogs are slaughtered each year for their furs and skins, mostly in China and other Asian countries. However recent studies have shown that much of this fur has found its way into EU domestic markets in products such as soft toys, gloves, coats and throws.

This has been made possible and gone unnoticed for so long as fur traders and manufacturers have been incorrectly labelling their products to avoid detection. In the past Cat and Dog fur has been labelled as another animal species such as mountain goat skin or lamb skin, leaving consumers oblivious to what they are actually purchasing.

Several reports conducted by animal welfare groups have since exposed the lengths traders have gone to in misleading the public and also exposed the general cruelty involved in the slaughter of cats and dogs.

"It is totally wrong that that consumers have been tricked into purchasing products containing cat and dog fur because of deceitful labelling".  "This all out ban will hopefully deliver a severe blow to an industry whose practices are considered by most people and certainly by me as inhumane and barbaric."

The ban is expected to come into force across the EU by 2009.