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Posted in Knitting
May 11, 2005

PETA's anti-wool campaign

This post’s comments contain some of the most reasonable information-sharing on PETA’s ridiculous anti-wool campaign that I’ve seen, including a lengthy and interesting comment by an actual Australian sheep farmer! You should always prevent as much animal suffering as you personally can, but I wish PETA knew what they were talking about when it comes to sheep and caring for them.
The alternative to mulesing (the procedure they’re protesting) is that sheep can get maggot infestation in the area around their tail. Live maggots. Which, if you ask me, sounds a heck of a lot less humane than preventing it. These are the same kind of people who think you have to kill a sheep to shear it. Do I have to lop off your head to give you a haircut? No — shearing is just a sheep haircut!
Shrek the sheep notwithstanding, I think most sheep probably like having shorter fleece in the summer. Don’t you?

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5 comments

  • julia fc

    Thanks Shannon for calling further attention to the usefulness of that discussion. I was really grateful to everyone who offered their perspectives, and to Gen from Australia who gave a description of her experience.

    Reply to julia fc
  • holly

    UGH! I could rant about them, but I will not. I also know that sheep ARE neglected and such, but PETAs tactics are not all that great either, IMHO.
    omg, little Shrek looked so pissed that he was shorn! Do you see that photot? So cute. Like his life as a hermit was now over. 🙂
    thanks for posting that shannon! Now I will ignore all the work I have to do and read it all.

    Reply to holly
  • maggie

    While PETA IS a little extreme, it’s not just the procedure they are protesting, they are also protesting the animal being flung down a shoot cruelly, sometimes breaking bones and injuring the animal. They are also protesting the fact that these animals are breed to grow a large amount of hair, thus establishing the neccesity of museliing I feel bad for that poor sheep, granted sheep DO need to be shorn, but it is the cruel method to do it quickly and to get the most fur out of the sheep possible.
    Besides that, wool is exceedingly itchy, and I am allergic to wool and lanolin.

    Reply to maggie
  • carly

    PETA is extreme like this because they need to grab peoples attention for change. peta is not protesting sheering sheep nor preventing flystrike. they are simply asking for the procedure ofmulesing to be done using some pain killing while not acting completely inhumanely towards the poor thing. imagine the pain u get from a papercut. now imagine the pain from half your bum getting cut off without any anaesthetics, while your not understanding why your bum is getting cut off.

    Reply to carly
  • Post authorShannon

    Oh really, Carly? Then why, on their anti-wool website (http://savethesheep.com/alternatives.asp), are they attempting to keep people from purchasing or using any wool, period? Baby, bathwater. I’m going to go out on a limb here and assume you’re not a farmer, but sheep need to be shorn regularly.
    In addition, PETA put hundreds upon hundreds of animals to sleep instead of finding them loving permanent homes:
    http://www.examiner.com/x-5984-Fayetteville-Pets-Examiner~y2009m3d30-Animal-welfare-vs-Animal-Rights
    I quote from that article:

    There is controversy in Norfolk, VA over a PeTA run shelter which euthanizes animals. Euthanizing animals is a sad but necessary part of most shelters. But even shelters with extremely high kill percentages were shocked at this shelter’s high euthanasia rates. During 2006, over 97% of animals brought to the shelter were euthanized. By 2008 the numbers were holding steady at 95.8%. PeTA likens an animal’s existence as a pet to a life of slavery and freedom through euthanasia is preferable to being someone’s pet.

    You might want to rethink your opinion of their policy goals and the actions taken to achieve them.

    Reply to Shannon

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