Meet Pete. He's from Australia. April 24, 2009

Posted by Rachel-O at April 24, 2009 3:29 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 14 ) | TrackBack

If you're still wearing wool, I'm about to give you five reasons to stop.

Their names are Faith, Lily, Mae, Pete, and Lucy, and they are five sheep from Australia who were exploited for the wool industry.

Australia produces 25% of the world's wool—this wool comes from sheep like Pete.

Pete was unable to move and close to death when the investigators found him. His only water supply was a black puddle that was contaminated by a rotting sheep's carcass. Pete is the face of the wool industry.

Pete died about an hour after this picture was taken, having suffered alone for weeks.

In Australia, sheep are specifically bred to have extra wrinkly skin, which means farmers can get more wool from each animal. This obviously makes it much hotter, and it causes animals to die of heat exhaustion in the summer. The wrinkles also collect urine and moisture—which attract flies, who then lay eggs in the sheep's skin. This is called flystrike, and the maggots can actually eat the sheep alive, like they did Pete.

Australian ranchers perform a barbaric operation—mulesing—carving pieces of skin off of the sheep. This is done to cause smooth, scarred skin that won't harbor fly eggs, yet the bloody wounds often get flystrike before they heal and the cycle continues.

After years of this abuse, Australian sheep are crammed onto filthy boats for live export to the Middle East—a trip that many do not survive—where they are dragged to slaughter and have their throats cut while they are conscious and struggling. Their flesh is then sold to be eaten.

How can you help animals like Pete? Don't buy wool! Too many people think sheep just can't survive without someone coming along to shear them (just like a cow needs to be milked, right?). Know your facts and pass them on!

I never want an animal to have to suffer so I can wear a sweater, do you?

Whose Skin Are You In? September 25, 2008

Posted by Marta at September 25, 2008 9:51 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack

Isn't it disturbing to think that wearing the skin of another animal is considered normal by many people? I mean seriously, wearing the skin of someone who was once living and breathing is really sick.

Many people wear animal skins in a misguided attempt to be fashionable, but how can wearing dead skin make you look good (Hello, Hairy-Kate and Trashley)?

I think the problem lies in the fact that many people are just completely unaware of what happens to animals in the cruel skins industry. Honestly, it's weird, but a lot of people don't even realize that leather comes from an animal. We need your help to make sure everyone knows the truth.

We have a brand new video to share with you all, called "Whose Skin Are You In?" It's a great video to share with your friends and family to get them to think twice about whose skin they're wearing on top of their own. Our goal is to get 1,000,000 views of this video on YouTube. Will you help us?

First, watch the video below. Next, embed the video everywhere you can (get the code here). Then be sure to go to YouTube and comment on and favorite the video. And, of course, don't forget to forward the video to everyone you know!

Let's make sure everyone knows that wearing animals is not fashionable. Thanks so much for your help!

♥ Marta

10% Wool! June 19, 2008

Posted by Marta at June 19, 2008 3:21 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack

Haha! Jeff Corriveau is amazing. For more info on mulesing, check this out.

Click for a larger version
To check out past installments of the strips, click here.

♥ Marta

Adidas Scores, Big Time, for Australian Sheep! June 4, 2008

Posted by Ryan at June 4, 2008 4:38 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 22 ) | TrackBack

We are proud to announce yet another victory for Australian sheep! Adidas—the second-largest sporting-goods manufacturer in the world—has just taken steps to reduce the suffering of sheep in its supply chain.

Following nearly four months of discussions with PETA, Adidas has now decided to boycott all wool from mulesed lambs—including those mulesed using clips.

As you may already know, mulesing is a standard mutilation used by Australian woolgrowers, in which lambs have huge chunks of skin and flesh carved from their backsides with big, metal shears (like gardening shears). This is a crude attempt to "protect" sheep from maggot infestation, despite the fact that humane methods exist.

Could you imagine having part of your butt cut off with a giant pair of scissors? OUCH!

The decision really makes Australia's Federal Minister for Agriculture, Tony Burke, look like a fool. It was just one week ago that he sent a letter to Adidas, thanking them for supporting Australian wool and trying to justify their cruel mulesing ways. Sucks to be him! :)

Anyways, if you haven't already had a chance to sign our petition against mulesing, make sure to sign it!

Let's keep the pressure on them, so that no more butts get cut!

- Ryan!

The peta2 Week In Review February 22, 2008

Posted by Pulin Modi at February 22, 2008 11:26 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 3 ) | TrackBack

Good day! I wanted to do a little review of what's been going on this week so check it out.

• Grocery chain Harris Teeter announced groundbreaking improvements to its corporate animal welfare standards.

• In collaboration with PETA UK, Topshop unveiled a huge store display window condemning the exotic skins trade on London's busiest shopping street!

• Our tour crew continues to rock out and educate people on tour with Cobra Starship.

• Consumers around the world are still shocked to know that 143 million pounds of beef were recalled including at least 37 million pounds which were used for school lunches and other federal nutrition programs. And the government is admitting that they really don't know how common this problem may be! Seems like a good time to get your school to add healthy, humane vegetarian and vegan options, so do it! We're always here to help! (This funny video about this whole case is amazing, by the way.)

• More hot anti-fur ads exclusively on our MySpace.

• H&M decided to take a stand against "mulesing" of sheep for the wool industry. They even posted a statement on their website. Email them at info@hm.com to say thanks for speaking up for the sheep (H&M refuses to sell fur, too, by the way!).

Enjoy the weekend!

-Pulin

VICTORY: H&M Shuns Cruelty to Animals! February 19, 2008

Posted by Patricia at February 19, 2008 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 21 ) | TrackBack

Today's blog features guest blogger peta2 UK's Violet

Photo credit: Curbed/Creative Commons

H&M stands for Hennes & Mauritz! But we think it should stand for Hurray & Marvelous!!! Because after discussions with PETA US about how lambs in the Australian wool industry are mutilated during the "mulesing" procedure, they've made a company policy to source wool from outside Australia. H&M is committed to ensuring that any wool it purchases from down under doesn't come from farmers who still practice this barbaric procedure.

For those unfamiliar with mulesing: Australian farmers breed sheep to grow extremely wrinkly skin so they produce more wool, these folds of excess skin collect urine and moisture in the hot weather and attracted to the moisture, flies lay eggs in the folds of the skin. To prevent the hatched maggots from eating the sheep alive, many Australian ranchers use gardening shears to cut huge chunks of skin and flesh from lamb's backsides (without any painkillers) in this cruel practice. If that wasn't enough, after all that, when the sheep are no longer producing enough wool, they are crammed onto export ships to be sent to the Middle East, where they'll be cruelly slaughtered.

H&M even posted a kick ass mulesing info section in their corporate responsibility section on their Website stating, "H&M does not accept mulesing, the surgical procedure carried out on merino sheep in Australia in order to prevent flystrike. The company has decided to direct its buying towards other countries of origin and other suppliers in Australia that can guarantee mulesing-free merino wool."

We love H&M! Now we've got just one more reason to go shopping!

*Violet
X

Deflocked Coming Atcha! January 17, 2008

Posted by Marta at January 17, 2008 2:28 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

This week's installment of Deflocked, by Jeff Corriveau, made me laugh out loud with the Hulk mention. You'll see what I mean. What's not funny, however, is how sheep whose wool is made into sweaters, scarves, and other garments are treated. See for yourself here.

Click for a larger version
To check out past installments, click here.



♥ Marta

Vote for Your Favorite Cruelty-Free Outfit! October 26, 2007

Posted by Marta at October 26, 2007 9:25 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 89 ) | TrackBack

A while back I asked all you stylish ladies and gents to send us photos of you in your favorite cruelty-free outfits—you know, outfits free of fur, leather, and wool. I mean, why wear an animal when you can wear something cute that didn't cause an animal to suffer and die?

I don't know about you, but it makes me shudder to think about wearing someone else's skin/fur. If someone were to tell you, 'Here is a coat I made for you out of human back hair' you'd probably scream, run the other direction, and maybe even throw up in your mouth a little, right? But people who wear animal skins are wearing the skin and hair off an animal's back—an animal who doesn't speak human and can't tell us it hurts to be drowned, gassed, and anally electrocuted (though I think it's obvious to most of us that any of those things would hurt anyone, be it a human, a fox, or a raccoon).

And don't even get me started on leather—the fact that people wear cow skin that has to be chemically treated to keep from rotting is just plain nasty. Say it with me now: Chemically-treated cow skin is not fashionable.

Anyway, now that I've gone off on my tangent, I'll leave you lovelies to decide which outfit below is your favorite, so comment away!

Will it be Twigg's fur-free fashion sense?

Or Michael's casual and comfy cruelty-free clothing?


Or Donna's dazzling death-free dress (and yes, her shoes are pleather!)?


And vote wisely, cause the person who has the photo with the highest number of votes will win a $50 gift certificate from Alternative Outfitters!

♥ Marta

Joaquin Phoenix Owns the Night...and a Chunk of My Heart October 12, 2007

Posted by Patricia at October 12, 2007 4:10 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 ) | TrackBack

Photo courtesy of Victor Malafronte/starmaxinc.com

We Own the Night starts tonight and I'm so excited! Joaquin Phoenix, Mark Wahlberg, and Eva Mendes all in the same movie together, that just may be too much hotness to handle.

This movie looks crazy good—Russian hit men vs. NYC cops, secrets, sex, drugs, gun fights, my fave vegan actor—and I for one have been counting the days.

Oh, Joaquin, how do you find the time to crank out all of these great films, attend press junkets and premieres around the globe, and still do so much to help animals? Like the letter he sent to Australia's Agriculture Minister about the cruel ways sheep are treated by the Australian wool industry for instance.

He's one man who definitely deserves success...and I'm not just saying that because he's adorable. I swear. Go see We Own the Night, it's guaranteed to be action-packed and filled with hotness.

xox

Patricia

P.S. If anyone else plans on seeing the movie tonight, let me know by leaving a comment.

Joaquin Phoenix: Defender of Sheep September 13, 2007

Posted by Patricia at September 13, 2007 1:24 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 4 ) | TrackBack

Photo courtesy of Star Max Inc

There are two things you can count on in life...paying taxes and Joaquin Phoenix. (OK, there are actually many more things you can count on, I know, but I'm making a point.) And you can always count on Joaquin to: A. give a stellar performance—they don't just nominate any schmuck from the local community theater for Oscars and Golden Globes—B. look totally adorable C. speak up for animals.

His latest good deed comes in the form of a letter he penned to Australia's Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran about the cruel treatment of sheep by the Australian wool industry. See, contrary to popular belief, sheep don't just spend their days hanging out, grazing without a care in the world, waiting to be sheared or shaved. It is a pretty picture, but not at all accurate.

Each year, millions of sheep raised for their wool in Australia are mutilated without receiving veterinary care or painkillers. Many sheep and lambs die from disease, neglect, starvation, and exposure, just so someone can buy a crummy sweater or coat. The Aussie wool industry say they'll phase out the hideous practice of mulesing, which is cutting huge chunks of flesh from lambs' (lambs!!!) backsides to prevent maggot infestation by 2010, but they could ban the practice right now and switch to humane methods that other farmers are currently using.

That's where our hero Joaquin comes in. He's asking McGauran to "step in and push the wool industry to do the right thing" and to "put an end to the two worst abuses of sheep who are raised for their wool by banning both mulesing and the export of live sheep to the Middle East."

And here's where you come in, let Australia's Prime Minister hear from you. We've done all the work for you, you just need to fill in a few spaces and click send. Come on, it's for the sheep and the lambs...think of the lambs the next time you're shopping and boycott wool.

Our good friend Pink was also completely outraged when she found out what was happening to sheep so check out her expose of the Australian wool industry.




xox

Patricia