10 April, 2015. 10:15
CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | [email protected]
A MEMBER OF AUSTRALIAN ROCK BAND, I Killed The Prom Queen, has this week appeared in a new anti-wool campaign solicited and funded by animal rights group, PETA.
The poster that Adelaide-based guitarist Jona Weinhofen appeared in has suggested that farmers who shear lambs are committing the highest form of animal cruelty, which results in the infant livestock having skin stripped from the hides in a money-hungry quest to be inhumane.
Sheep farmers across the world have responded to the obscure claim by clarifying that they don’t actually shear lambs.
Regardless of the issue at hand, it is evident to see that PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) have launched their new winter campaign with undeniable momentum.
A spokeswoman for the anti-agriculturalist organisation says the ante-up has been inspired by new management, scouted from former polaroid camera giant, Kodak.
“We decided it was time to innovate. We wanted to enter the 21st century with a slick, groovy new look” says PETA researcher, Suja Bleedinhart.
“Kodak as a brand has been very successful in reaching audiences over the years, so of course we took the opportunity to poach several of their executives to join the team at PETA”
Ms. Bleedinart believes that the new executive team will benefit PETA immensely.
“We, the people at the grassroots level of PETA, spend so much of our time researching animal cruelty on Google… We needed some direction at our corporate level. That’s where the Kodak team can help,”
“Help” could probably be described as an understatement with this particular campaign, relaunching PETA as a household name across the western world, particularly in the homes of people who’s livelihoods will be crushed by the unfounded claims of lamb-shearing.
Ken Buttle, a fourth generation sheep grazier from North-New South Wales spoke to the Betoota Advocate about the new PETA campaign this morning.
“My family have always farmed sheep, so PETA have always been on our case… But they usually go after the beef farmers,”
“Now we really know who they are, mainly because they accused our entire industry of being quite incompetent with a pair a clippers,”
Buttle expands on what he calls a misunderstanding between the wool industry and the animal rights industry. He states that wool farmers actually need to shear sheep in Australia, or else they will perish in the extreme heat they are exposed to.
However, PETA claim that a progressive researcher in California has told them that their may be alternatives. Hence why they have chosen to deliver the message with an Australian musician, even if it is one that no one knows about or cares about. Mr Buttle continued.
“I was also very disappointed to hear that PETA think we like to shear lambs. What the fuck is that all about?”
“They seem to know a lot about the animals we have here. I wonder if they have ever seen what the average shearer looks like. I can guarantee if my shearers had to bend low enough to shear a lamb, I would have the unions knocking on my door in a second”
This is a bloody outrage. I don’t know if I’m outraged by the lambs, PETA or the sheerer’s union – but I’m outraged and I damn well wish to comment!
I will never cease to be entertained and inspired by the style of journalism produced by the Betoota Advocate. The “we all know this is bullshit but let’s have fun with it” style will never grow old. Might I suggest a subtle name change to “The Betoota Agvocate”? I think this would be a valid modernisation.
PETA does not aim to bring down farmers. PETA only wants the violence against animals to stop. There are other ways to earn a living that do not involve harming animals.
PETA should be praised for bringing to light footage of blatant animal cruelty. There’s nothing more to it. In their investigation footage, you can see sheep being stamped on, thrown, kicked and punched repeatedly, stabbed in the face with shears, violently pinned down and negligently cut during shearing. Even one case of such cruelty in a million would be enough to warrant outcry, but PETA reports such mistreatment in 19 facilities, in three Australian states. Personally, I am outraged that anybody should disagree with PETA’s motives and methods, when at the bottom of it all are the lives and well-being of innocent. sentient creatures.
The higher the demand in a product the more supply is needed for the raw materials. So it is mandatory to be efficient in the global wool industry because shearers are usually paid by volume, not by the hour, which encourages fast, rough work that frequently leads to not care on the welfare of the sheep. PETA is attacking to cruelty in the wool industry. There isn’t a video to be documented if it didn’t happen.
No they have to sheer the sheep cleanly because skin and blood wrecks the wool and farmers get angry if you cut there sheep for obvious reasons. Thanks for your unimformed opinion though
PETA did not accuse the “entire industry of being quite incompetent with a pair a clippers.” I believe they accused SOME sheep shearers of being negligent in the way they used those clippers and treated their animals in order to maximise their income as shearers are not paid by the hour, but by the volume. To me, this suggests that there is an issue within the organisational structure of the industry that can encourage negligent/cruel behaviour.
All this article is doing is trying to draw attention away from the real issue – acknowledging and ending the horrific animal abuse in the Australian wool industry.
Look no further than the PETA video expose into the industry to see this abuse. The footage shows workers violently punching scared sheep in the face, stamping and standing on the animals’ heads and necks and beating them in the face with electric clippers and a hammer.
Even the Liberal party acknowledges that it’s occurring. Liberal party members in Victoria have even called for compulsory drug testing of shearers as they admit abuse from drug-using shearers against sheep is a massive problem. One shearer reportedly broke the legs of 14 sheep in a two-day period.
I’m interested to know – does everybody think this is acceptable?
Here’s an idea – Boycott wool! There are plenty of other humane fibers that can be worn. Contrary to what Barnaby Joyce stated, we do not want everyone ‘starkers’.