Several years ago, there was a story about some sheep in England who learned that they could get across hoof-proof cattle grids simply by lying on their sides or backs and rolling over. Their reward was tasty flowers and vegetables in neighboring gardens.
While the local townspeople weren't exactly thrilled by the sheep's ingenuity, I love this story because it illustrates how clever sheep are. Contrary to archaic stereotypes, sheep are intelligent, inquisitive beings who lead complex social lives, bond with one another and learn through trial and error. They have unique personalities and experience a wide range of emotions. They can remember at least 50 individual faces for over two years and will stick up for their friends in a fight.
Being familiar with all the endearing personality traits and capabilities of sheep is just one reason why I urge compassionate consumers to shun wool sweaters and scarves. Over and over again, PETA has exposed the global wool industry's systemic, pervasive cruelty to sheep, and although the industry has vowed to do better, nothing has changed.
PETA recently released an expose of shearing sheds in South Australia and Victoria, Australia, revealing that shearers punched frightened sheep and stomped and stood on their heads and necks. Two sheep died from conditions that workers called "heart attacks," likely resulting from severe stress during shearing. Others were dragged into the sun and left without water or care for hours before they finally died. Farmers also cut the throats of unwanted sheep, apparently while they were fully conscious.
A worker who was caught on camera punching sheep and beating them in the face with heavy electric clippers during the undercover investigation pleaded guilty to one count of cruelty to animals late last month.
This is the 13th investigation into the global wool industry that PETA and its international affiliates have released since 2014. PETA's first, groundbreaking international wool industry expose found shearers in Australia punching sheep in the face and beating them in the head with sharp metal clippers and even a hammer. These violent attacks left the petrified animals bleeding from the eyes, nose and mouth. Officials charged six shearers with 70 counts of cruelty to animals, the first-ever charges anywhere in the world against wool-industry workers for abusing sheep. All six pleaded guilty.
The wool industry called that case a "wake-up call" that had forever changed it. But clearly, it wasn't, because in 2015 and again in early 2017, eyewitnesses saw exactly the same abuse as before. In late 2017, the wool industry again condemned such cruelty and again vowed to do better.
But PETA and its affiliates have continued to expose horrific cruelty to sheep in wool-industry facilities around the world.
Last month, a Scottish sheep farmer pleaded guilty to cruelty to animals after he was caught on video viciously punching sheep in the face during a PETA Asia investigation. Shearers in England were documented stomping on sheep, choking their throats, kicking them in the abdomen and jabbing them in the head with clippers.
In the U.S., a shearer repeatedly twisted and bent a sheep's neck until it broke. After she was kicked head-first down a chute by the worker, PETA's investigator found her dead. In Argentina and Chile, workers stabbed fully conscious sheep in the neck, causing them to kick and struggle as they bled to death. Some sheep were even skinned alive.
The wool industry has gotten many "wake-up calls" and ignored them all.
Clearly, it's not enough for us to sit back and hope in vain that industry officials will take meaningful action to stop the abuse. They won't. But we can, by refusing to support the wool industry with our purchases. Sustainable vegan wool made from seaweed, hemp, recycled polyester, linen and other materials is readily available _ it's time to say "no" to wool.
