that showed dogs being skinned alive for their fur, the hair from which was being used in making dog toys for westerners. Why the hell they had to do it without killing the animals first, I couldn't fathom. That was the point at which I decided to do my damndest never to again buy things made in China if I could find ones made elsewhere.

FWIW, the notion that an animal can be "too dead" for easy disassembly or that still live animals are easier to skin is common in American fur operations and slaughterhouses, and isn't an exclusively Chinese notion.

No matter where you get them from if you consume animal products that's what you're paying for.