Photos

Mulesing

In Australia and New Zealand, where much of the world's wool is produced, farmers perform a barbaric operation called "mulesing," in which they carve dinner-plate-sized chunks of flesh and skin from the backsides of sheep, all without any painkillers whatsoever. Click here to find out more about mulesing.

Live Export

When sheep are no longer considered economically viable by the wool industry, they are sent by sea to be slaughtered in the Middle East or North Africa. Aboard these crowded, open-deck, multitiered ships, many sheep suffer from heat exhaustion and dehydration in extremely high temperatures or fall ill when they become stuck in feces or are trampled by other sheep. Click here to learn more about Australia's hideous live-export trade.

Slaughter

In the Middle East, the final destination for millions of former "wool sheep," animal-welfare standards are non-existent. When these frightened animals arrive, their legs are tied together and they are thrown onto trucks to be taken to hideous slaughterhouses or to have their throats slit in a market. The sheep have their throats slit while fully aware.

Click here to view shocking video footage from inside the wool industry.

Click here to learn how you can help end this abuse.