Thousands Join PETA in Opposing Derbyshire Alpaca Farm
Thousands Join PETA in Opposing Derbyshire Alpaca Farm
Over 13,000 People Agree: Authorities Must Block Farm Proposal
Derbyshire – T&S Nurseries – which previously farmed rabbits for their flesh and fur – has submitted a proposal for an alpaca farm in Hognaston, Derbyshire, that would treat gentle alpacas like fleece-producing machines. In response, PETA has sent a petition with over 13,000 signatures from local residents and other concerned members of the public to Derbyshire Dales District Council urging it to reject the plan.
In the petition, PETA points out that alpacas are prey animals for whom the shearing process can be extremely traumatising. The animals at this facility would be kept in barren conditions before being sold, separating them from their friends and family members.
In addition to causing animals stress, the planned farm would have many negative effects on the local area, including compromising the outstanding natural landscape through the erection of buildings on the site, increased traffic from heavy goods vehicles, and the large quantities of manure and environmental pollutants, such as methane, it would generate.
“Thousands of compassionate people have spoken, and Derbyshire Dales District Council should heed their concerns for animal welfare, the environment, and the health of the community,” says PETA Senior Campaigns Manager Kate Werner. “PETA is calling for this plan to be scrapped, preventing gentle and sensitive alpaca from being exploited for their fleece.”
PETA exposés of Peru’s alpaca fleece industry have revealed workers slamming animals – some of whom were pregnant – onto tables, tying them tightly by the legs to a rack, and pulling hard, nearly wrenching their legs out of their sockets. The terrified animals spit, cried out, and vomited in fear as workers grabbed them by the ears, roughly sheared them, crudely stitched up their bloody cuts with a needle and thread, and threw them to the concrete floor.
In addition, the proposed facility would also be a potential breeding ground for bovine tuberculosis (bTB), a disease that can infect alpacas and other animals – including humans. Reports show that alpacas in the UK have recently tested positive for bTB, and some have been killed – including Geronimo, whose heartbreaking story captured the public’s attention last year.
PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow the group on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.
Contact:
Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327; [email protected]
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