Genuine fake? You sure?
THERE are fakes everywhere. Fake watches, fake football shirts, fake handbags.
If something has a value, you can bet your bottom dollar someone, somewhere will have copied it.
Over the years, the veterinary world has not been immune to fakery. On occasions, it has been involved on a grand scale.
Take Ronald Meddes and his wife Regine Lansley, who sold unlicensed drugs over six years to 4000 customers, including online pharmacies, stables, kennels and even veterinary practices.
Such was the success of their illegal enterprise that their fake drugs were outselling the real ones.
Then we have a pair of Liverpool pensioners who set up a fake veterinary practice so they could order £370,000 of diazepam which they duly sold on the streets.
We have police warning pharmacies to look out for fake veterinary prescriptions as drug abusers attempt to get hold of recreational drugs.
Add to this an auction manager who was caught with 19 bottles of fake antibiotics in her vehicle, all of which was potentially lethal to humans.
We have people faking injuries to their animals (but causing damage), so a vet will prescribe them painkillers, which they take themselves.
And, of course, fake vets set up and cause suffering to patients and owners.
Now it seems we also have fake fakes. Allegations have been made after a joint probe by Humane Society International/UK (HIS/UK) and Sky News that fashion retailers have been selling shoes adorned by cat fur.
This despite the fur of dogs and cats in the EU being banned since 2009 and that some labels have listed only man-made materials.
Investigations by HIS/UK produced a pair of “fur free” gloves that tested positive for rabbit fur, a bobble hat that contained raccoon dog fur and items that contained animal fur, contrary to labels.
Claire Bass, executive director of HIS/UK, said: “Fake faux fur is a growing problem.
“Independent stores, popular markets as well as online retailers are awash with cheap animal fur trimmed garments.”
Faux faux indeed. You couldn’t make it up.