China’s Amazon causes outrage for selling items made from cat, dog skin

LONDON - China’s largest retail website has sparked outrage among animal lovers after it offered thousands of products made from the skins of cats and dogs.

Upon searching the website, Taobao.com, it was found that the most popular items were trousers and hats made from dog fur, which is touted for its ability to ward off the cold.

Animal rights activists said dealers usually targeted stray animals, selling their skins to fur traders in the country’s east and the meat to restaurants in the south.

“We have volunteers to protect the animals but their efforts are not enough as the government’s supervision is inadequate,” the Daily Mail quoted Zhai Yining, an official with the China Small Animal Protection Association, as saying.

Animal lovers posted comments on popular social networking site Douban calling for the sales of such products to be banned.

“Would those sleeping on a mattress made at the cost of lives feel really happy and comfortable? Isn’t that cruel?” one web user said in a comment on a picture of a mattress made from cat fur.

According to rules published by Taobao, online stores caught selling cat or dog meat, furs and fur products, would be punished by having their rating points reduced, which could hurt their popularity.

But an unnamed official with Alibaba, the operator of Taobao.com, said website inspectors charged with deleting irregular information were overwhelmed by the number of sellers publishing product details.

This is the second time Taobao.com has become involved in a small animal maltreatment scandal.

Last week the International Fund for Animal Welfare persuaded it to ban the selling of poisons to kill dogs and the equipment used to catch them. (ANI)