Investigation Finds Raccoon Dog Hair Used In 'Faux Fur' Labeled Clothes Sold At Century 21

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- An undercover investigation has found some "faux fur" labeled clothing by Marc Jacobs and other brands sold at Century 21 department stores actually contain dog hair or fur from other animals.

The Humane Society and Assemblywoman Linda Rosenthal visited several Century 21 locations to determine whether fur-trimmed garments were properly labeled.

"It shouldn't be the obligation of the consumer to do a lot of testing to make sure what is stated is the truth," Rosenthal told CBS 2's Hazel Sanchez.

A video of their visits, which was posted on YouTube, showed many garments did not specify whether the fur trim was real or fake, as is required by law.

Tests later indicated some of the "faux" and unlabeled garments contained hairs from a raccoon dog, a breed native to Asia, or rabbit fur.

LINK: Investigation Results (pdf)

Three Marc by Marc Jacobs brand jackets purchased online were advertised as having a "faux fur trim" but the label stated it contained "100% real raccoon fur." However, the Humane Society said the fur was actually hair from a raccoon dog.

The hood of JNBY jacket purchased during the investigation at the Lincoln Square store was labeled as having "faux fur," but the Humane Society said it was made of rabbit hair.

Many shoppers were shocked by the news.

"It's horrible because I have a dog of my own," one woman said. "I would hate to know that his fur is on a jacket that somebody's wearing."

"That's wrong, completely wrong," one man said.

In a statement, Century 21 placed the blame on the manufacturers, saying they are the ones who create the garment labels.

Century 21 was not fined for the violations discovered during the investigation.  Marc Jacobs has not responded to CBS 2's request for comment.