[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 145 (1999), Part 6] [Extensions of Remarks] [Pages 8674-8675] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]STOP THE INHUMANE TREATMENT OF DOGS AND CATS ______ HON. GERALD D. KLECZKA of wisconsin in the house of representatives Wednesday, May 5, 1999 Mr. KLECZKA. Mr. Speaker, on April 29, 1999 I introduced the Dog and Cat Protection Act. I was appalled to learn about the use of dog and cat fur on coats, toys, and other merchandise as profiled in a recent segment of ``Dateline NBC''. Immediately thereafter, I [[Page 8675]] began drafting legislation to end this abusive practice. While crafting this measure, I contacted the Humane Society of the United States for their input. As a result of these efforts, I introduced H.R. 1622, the Dog and Cat Protection Act. An estimated 2,000,000 dogs and cats are slaughtered and sold annually as part of the international fur trade. Many of these animals are raised in deplorable conditions. Unfortunately, there are no federal laws to prohibit the importation, manufacture, transport or sale of any product made with dog and cat fur. The only provision in law to regulate the importation of products made with cat and dog fur is the Fur Products Labeling Act (FPLA). The FPLA and its regulations simply require that any product with a value of more than $150 contain a label informing a consumer that it contains animal fur. Any product worth less than $150 is exempted from the labeling requirement. My legislation would impose a ban on all products entering the United States made with cat and dog fur. In order to prevent a foreign importer from establishing operations in the United States, H.R. 1622 would also prevent the sale, manufacture, transport, or advertisement of any product made domestically with cat and dog fur. Furthermore, H.R. 1622 would give additional authority to the Customs Service to inspect products entering the United States to ensure they do not contain cat and dog fur. Violators of the ban would be subject to both civil and criminal penalties. Furthermore, persons found to be in violation of the ban would face the prospect of being permanently prohibited from selling any fur product in the United States. The Dog and Cat Protection Act also amends the Fur Products Labeling Act to require all fur products entering the United States--regardless of their value--to contain a label showing their true content. This means those persons who try to mislabel products in order to get around the ban contained in my legislation would face additional penalties under the Fur Products Labeling Act. The additional labeling requirements will also help the Customs Service in their enforcement efforts. Mr. Speaker, it is time to put an end to the inhumane treatment of dogs and cats once and for all. I urge my colleagues to become cosponsors of H.R. 1622. ____________________