Undercover investigations have shown shearers abusing sheep by kicking, punching, throwing and stamping on them. These gentle animals are callously treated like units of production, with little respect for their welfare.
EMILY MEE: ‘Fashion website Boohoo has become the first UK mainstream retailer to ban the use of wool in its products – but has faced backlash over the decision. The online store, which also owns PrettyLittleThing and Nasty Gal, said in a statement it would “not knowingly source wool products” by the autumn. The move has been applauded by animal rights organisation People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which recently released footage of abuse at 99 shearing sheds across the world. It described “systematic” and “horrific” animal abuse at sheep-shearing facilities and claims the industry also has an environmental impact…
Humane Society International has also welcome Boohoo’s move. Executive director Claire Bass said: “Undercover investigations, including here in the UK, have shown shearers abusing sheep by kicking, punching, throwing and stamping on them. “The speed of the wool production line can mean that these gentle animals are callously treated like mere units of production, with little respect for their welfare. “And when they are no longer needed for their wool they are sent to slaughterhouses, and sometimes transported live for slaughter in other countries, enduring gruelling journeys that can last for weeks before being killed”…
Sheep farmer Gareth Wyn Jones told Sky News he was “absolutely disgusted” by Boohoo’s decision to ban wool and it is important for the sheep’s health for them to be shorn. He said that the animals are vulnerable to maggots which can eat them alive if they are not regularly shorn. He added that he had personally “not seen one piece of evidence” of animal cruelty at shearing sheds. PETA says sheep are selectively bred to produce coats which are excessively thick and heavy, causing them to suffer from overheating and flystrike’.’ SOURCE…
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