Due to the nature of the agriculture industry, many activists express their concern for livestock welfare. I agree that just because an animal is raised for slaughter, does not negate their right to be treated humanely from birth to death. One cannot utter the topic of animal rights without discussing PETA. In case you are not aware, PETA is a radical animal rights group known for their bold, alarming, disturbing and often misleading propaganda. PETA utilizes celebrity endorsements and scare tactics to recruit supporters and influence the public. Promoting animal welfare is a just cause, but PETA’s actions are extreme and arguably unethical.

The graphic below demonstrates PETA’s deceptive strategies. This ad was posted in 2014 on PETA’s Facebook account.

The first issue worth examining is with the ewe itself. Based on the markings of this sheep, it is clear to anyone with any knowledge of sheep production that it is a Suffolk. The interesting thing about Suffolk sheep is that they are bred for meat production. Unlike wool or dual-purpose breeds their fiber is of such poor quality that it is virtually useless- certainly not the breed any producer would choose when making wool products. Secondly, the sheep was obviously shorn improperly. I have seen sheep shorn by beginners and professionals, and with care and attention the process is neither painful nor stressful for the animal.

I wish that I could say that blatant misrepresentations such as this were rare, but unfortunately this is a common strategy from PETA. Below is another example released in 2015 from PETA.

This image insinuates that sheep are killed for wool. Come on PETA… really? Australian celebrity Jona Weinhofen admitted the sheep was fake but was apparently under the impression that sheep were killed for wool. Once again, PETA used a graphic image and celebrity endorsement in the hopes that they could exploit public ignorance in their favor.

I have included an image of a half-shorn sheep below because it’s cute, I am sure that none of my readers are dumb enough to believe their wool socks caused the death of a lamb.

Does he look in pain, stressed or dead? I didn’t think so.