PETA UK Guide to Compassionate Living Issue 2

Cruel Mutilation Even more shocking is the widespread practice of “mulesing” in Australia, one of the world’s biggest wool producers. Farmers mutilate sheep by cutting off large chunks of their skin and flesh in a misguided attempt to prevent flystrike, a condition that occurs when flies lay eggs in the moist folds of sheep’s wrinkly skin. But unlike the humane alternatives, this gruesome procedure often doesn’t even work – many mulesed sheep still die from flystrike.

© PETA Asia

Shearing Abuse The shearing process is usually a violent and terrifying experience for the sheep. Workers are generally paid by volume, not by the hour, which encourages them to work as quickly as possible – shearing

© PETA Asia

as many as 200 sheep a day. The resulting rough handling causes frequent injuries to the sheep, even though they’re often deprived of food

and water for 24 hours before they’re shorn so they’ll put up less resistance.

In recent years, PETA and our affiliates have exposed rampant cruelty in shearing sheds across Australia, South America, and the US. In 2018, PETA Asia’s investigations of 25 English and 24 Scottish farms documented that workers abused terrified sheep, including by slamming their heads into the floor, beating and kicking them, and throwing them.

Other Animal-Derived Materials to Avoid

Alligator skin • Alpaca • Camel hair • Cashmere • Crocodile skin • Fleece • Goat hair • Karakul lamb fur • Llama wool • Mohair • Ostrich feathers and skin • Pashmina • Peace silk • Shahtoosh • Silk • Snakeskin • Suede • Vicuña • Yak wool