An HSUS investigation found domestic dog, wolf, or raccoon dog fur on 96 percent of a nationwide sample of fur-trimmed jackets purchased from well-known retailers and designers. The labels read "faux fur" or "raccoon" — if they bothered identifying the fur at all! Half of fur-containing garments come from China, where raccoon dogs as well as domestic dogs and cats are routinely killed for their fur.

Is it real fur or faux? Consider these facts:

• What's it Worth? Clothing made with less than $150 worth of fur doesn't have to be labeled in any way, even with basic information such as "real fur" vs. "faux fur." Real fur could come from any kind of animal and the consumer would never know.
• Skin or Fabric? Part the hairs down to the base and take a close look at what you see there. Synthetic fur has woven fabric at its base. Real animal fur has leather or skin.
• Burn or Melt? In general, natural fibers burn and synthetic fibers melt. If you already have an item you're unsure of, cut or pluck a few hairs off of the garment. Using a lighter or a match, try to burn the ends of the hairs. If the tip of the hair burns, crumbles away when you touch it and smells like human hair burning, it is real fur. If the tip of the hair melts, curls up into a hard ball and smells like an unnatural chemical, the fur is synthetic. The burn test should only be conducted by adults.

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