Mulesing Reality Is ‘Too Graphic’ for Melbourne, Says Billboard Ad Company
If this image is too painful to look at, you can imagine how it must feel to endure such abuse.
PETA’s latest billboard ad has been deemed “too graphic” for one out-of-home advertising company, owing to the bloody reality it depicts.
Our ad was set to be erected at three sites across Melbourne – in Collingwood, Fitzroy, and St Kilda – and was designed to remind people that mulesing remains a cruel and painful practice, despite a new law in Victoria that mandates a small amount of post-procedural pain relief. It was rejected on the grounds that the image may be too confronting for viewers. But we contend that since millions of sheep are forced to endure this archaic and horrific procedure in the wool industry, those who buy wool should at least see the truth.
In today’s wool industry, lambs’ legs are restrained between metal bars and chunks of flesh are cut off their backside with shears, sometimes without any pain relief. This process is known as “mulesing” and is done as a means of preventing flies from laying eggs in the folds of sheep’s skin, something that wouldn’t be a concern if they weren’t bred to have more wool than they need.
Help Sheep
When the bloody reality of mulesing was first exposed by PETA affiliates almost two decades ago, the Australian wool industry promised to phase it out by 2010. New Zealand banned the procedure in 2018, yet the majority of Australian sheep still endure this cruelty.
The New South Wales government recently launched an inquiry into a proposed bill that would ban mulesing by 2023 – however, Agriculture Minister Adam Marshall says he “will not entertain” the move. Show your support for the bill by e-mailing the minister and urging him to ban mulesing.
Choose Vegan
The recently imposed mandatory pain relief in Victoria is a minuscule step in the right direction. However, there’s no excuse to harm sheep for a jumper, especially now that we’re in the midst of a vegan fashion revolution.
As more and more people vow not to clothe themselves in cruelly produced garments, retailers and designers are meeting the demand for animal-friendly clothes in style. Learn more about vegan fashion and the compassionate companies that are “PETA-Approved Vegan”.
