It’s not the end of the world, right? That companies are lying to us about the materials in the items we use every day. It’s like mysterious “what’s your hamburger made of” rumors that fast food companies bite-their nails to. Who would have thought that there would come a time where we should question “what is really in this food” before we eat it? On the same catwalk, it is an even bigger shock that one would have to question where a material comes from, despite the writing on the tag.

A chilling five-month undercover investigation came to a close in 2013, courtesy of the Humane Society of the United States. This analysis disclosed a new use for everyone’s favorite domestic animal.

Under fire was Marc Jacobs, world-renowned designer for not only his namesake company, but as the artistic director of Louis Vuitton. His estimated $100 million (NY Times) net worth has made him a household name. Like many luxury fashion brands, Marc Jacobs sells last season’s styles to discount department stores, a method used in order to reduce excess inventory and provide the consumer with a better deal on ready-to-wear styles. Shockingly, the Humane Society uncovered that “faux fur-” trimmed Marc Jacobs jackets in fact contained real fur. Even more horrifying is the type of fur that matched their samples: the raccoon dog.

The Chinese canine is often skinned alive for its coat, which is referred to as “murmansky” fur. As the Humane Society informs, “Raccoon dogs suffer and die for their fur in intensive confinement operations in China.” The reason why designers who use fur often manufacture their pieces in China is because of their lack of legal punishment for animal cruelty. The dogs’ beautiful coats are popular among manufacturers because of their ubiquity among parts of eastern Asia, as well as the shocking (unrelated) resemblance to a raccoon. The species, although populous in the wild, is rapidly depleting due to over-hunting.

The lengthy investigation took place at Century 21, a popular chain of northeast department stores that are well-known for their luxury discounts of 40%-60% off. The chain is not one most would expect to be the scene of such controversy, let alone a crime. ABC News reports that when the dog-fur Marc by Marc Jacobs jackets arrived at the NYC Century 21, the mislabeled tag said “100% REAL RACCOON FUR COUNTRY OF ORIGIN CHINA.”

The Humane Society revealed that Century 21 tags were printed to say “faux fur,” and in a hidden-camera video, employees informed customers that the fur linings on the jackets were faux. The mislabeling of the items on Century 21’s part, although it has little to do with animal cruelty, is a violation of a federal law. The failure to label and the mislabeling of the winter jackets as faux fur is a crime against the US government. Marc Jacobs International is gulty under the Fur Products Labeling Act, which says it is criminal to describe the fur on a tag as being from a different animal than characterized. Countless corporations have run into violations of these federal and state fur-labeling laws. However, the case has remained latent, and no legal action has been taken against Marc Jacobs International or Century 21.

So, we’ve all eaten a horsemeat-disguised burger, and we’ve all worn dog fur disguised as faux, right?
Despite the legal repercussions and moral wrongdoings, why it is that top designers continue to manufacture real fur disguised as faux? Why do top department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue and Neiman Marcus continue to carry, and mistag such items? Designers have realized that times are changing, and what was once a sign of wealth, to wear fur, is now ridiculed by many as animal cruelty. As the demand for faux-fur grows, the price of synthetic furs increases, and innovators from companies such as Tommy Hilfiger, Marc Jacobs, and Michael Kors have demonstrated that it is significantly less expensive to disguise the coat of man’s best friend as faux in order to meet consumer demand.

There are a number of inhumane things that have occurred, and will continue to occur with this situation. Not only did Marc Jacobs and Century 21 deceive anti-fur customers into buying garments that violated state and federal laws, but the companies trick their customers into contradicting their personal beliefs of killing household animals for the sake of vanity.

Yet, companies that have repeatedly violated fur laws, including Marc Jacobs, still sell fur fashions. Activists relentlessly continue to encourage Marc Jacobs to join a small, but growing list of innovative designers that have pledged to go fur-free. Betsey Johnson, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney and Calvin Klein are among the iconic superstars making this conservative and bold decision.

In the time until designers make the decision to eliminate fur entirely from their designs, it is certain that consumers may run into more and more problems like the scandal that occurred at the New York City Century 21. Customers that love the feeling of wearing fur, but are against the real deal should most likely refrain from buying high-fashion names until they pledge to go fur-free. With the common mislabeling of items, it is extremely easy to buy an article that contains “faux” fur from that could potentially have been from a canine. One should be particularly aware that it is more common than conceived for manufacturers to mix furs from various animals and synthetics, which makes it extremely difficult to purchase pure faux-fur.

If there are not enough obvious reasons for designers and stores to stop lying about what kind of fur they use, they should take into consideration that people spend hundreds to thousands of dollars on their apparel. The manufacturers shouldn’t mind using a synthetic fur with all of the profits that they are already making. As for the matter of using dog fur, they should take into consideration that the torture and cruelty inflicted on such a beloved animal, or any animal for that matter, of being slaughtered for their fur is inhumane and morally wrong. PETA (People for the Ethnical Treatment of Animals) reports, “Animals on fur farms spend their entire lives confined to cramped, filthy wire cages. Fur farmers use the cheapest and cruelest killing methods available, including suffocation, electrocution, gas, and poison.” Hundreds of animals suffer daily, being abused and tortured. Until the fashion world pledges to be entirely fur free, innocent creatures will never stop suffering. Marc Jacobs, being a loving dog owner, have some compassion!