Government Stands Idly by While Wool Industry Continues Barbaric Practice of Mulesing
For Immediate Release:
January 24, 2012
Contact:
Adam Miller 202-483-7382
Washington -- Staff members at the Australian Embassy in Washington will get an eyeful when they peer out their windows on Wednesday. That's because to mark Australia Day, a flock of "sheep"—PETA members dressed in sheep costumes—will gather outside and hold a banner that reads, "Australian Lamb Mutilations: A Bloody Shame." The Australian wool industry had pledged to end "mulesing"—a painful and bloody mutilation of lambs' backsides—by 2010 but reneged on its promise. In the meantime, the Australian government hasn't lifted a finger to force—or even encourage—the industry to stop these barbaric mutilations.
When: Wednesday, January 25, 12 noon
Where: Outside the Australian Embassy, 1601 Massachusetts Ave. N.W. (near the intersection of Massachusetts Avenue N.W. and 16th Street N.W.), Washington
"The Australian wool industry could forever end mulesing mutilations in two years through an aggressive breeding program," says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. "The Australian government's inaction makes it complicit in the suffering of every one of the millions of lambs who endure these mutilations every year."
Mulesing is a crude and cruel attempt to prevent a maggot infestation called "flystrike." Farmers use instruments resembling gardening shears to cut huge chunks of flesh from lambs' backsides. The lambs often walk sideways like crabs from the pain of their wounds, which can take weeks to heal. The mutilation is completely unnecessary because humane methods of flystrike control—including breeding for bare-breech sheep—are already available and in use by many farmers in Australia.
A growing number of leading designers and retailers—including Gap Inc., Timberland, Abercrombie & Fitch, Limited Brands, Liz Claiborne, HUGO BOSS, and Perry Ellis—have pledged to move away from mulesed wool or have instituted an outright ban on it.
For more information, please visit PETA.org.