Wool Industry B*llocked Over Cruelty to Sheep
Today, shoppers at The Woolshops Shopping Centre in Halifax – a town where wool was once sold by the stone – were met with PETA supporters wearing “bloodied woolly” jumpers and holding “lambs’ testicles” and signs reading, “Wool Hurts! Wear Vegan” and “Humane Wool? That’s B*llocks!”
You might be wondering what these “bloodied” activists were doing in the Yorkshire town. PETA sprang into action to coincide with the beginning of spring – peak lambing season – to highlight the abuse sheep are subjected to in the wool industry. Workers sever male lambs’ testicles using a rubber ring to cut off the blood supply, one of the most painful castration methods possible.
Sheep farming, putting rubber ring on testicles of lamb in lambing shed, Lancashire, England, April
Why Was PETA Protesting?
Whenever kind shoppers learn about the violence of the wool industry – which routinely castrates lambs without painkillers – they rush to buy vegan materials instead. PETA encouraged the good people of Halifax to ditch wool in favour of animal-free fabrics.
The Truth About Wool
A disturbing PETA Asia eyewitness investigation into the wool industry in the UK shows workers beating, stamping on, kicking, mutilating, and throwing sheep.
In the UK, 15% of lambs don’t survive infancy. Those who do face the terrifying prospect of being shorn, during which they may be slammed into floors and sustain wounds that are sewn closed with a dirty needle, and they may be left to die without veterinary care.
What You Can Do
Check the label of any jumper you’re considering buying – before you make a purchase. If it contains wool, put it back on the shelf.
In addition to steering clear of wool, you can also urge these companies to drop the cruelly obtained material now:
