PETA activist to mimic mulesing in front of Benetton store

14 Jun '05

3 min read

Mimicking a gruesome procedure used by the Australian wool industry called “mulesing” (live flaying), a PETA Europe member – wearing a giant sheep costume and exposing his “bloody” rump – will lead a protest outside Italian clothing chain Benetton's store in Dublin on Wednesday. The action is the latest salvo in PETA Europe's international campaign against the retail giant over its use of cruelly obtained Australian wool.

Groups urge retailer to boycott Australian Wool Until Lamb Mutilations, live sheep exports end

During the “mulesing” demonstration, led by Australian Jodi Ruckley, 32, from Sydney, demonstrators will encourage consumers to boycott Benetton by holding signs that read “Benetton Is Baaad to Sheep” and handing out leaflets. PETA Europe and Animal Rights Action Network (ARAN) want Benetton to ban garments made with Australian wool until mulesing and live sheep exports are ended:

Date: Wednesday, June 15
Time: 12 noon sharp
Place: Main Entrance Stephens Green shopping centre

Mulesing is a painful mutilation in which Australian farmers use gardening shears to cut skin and flesh from lambs' backsides – without painkillers – in a crude attempt to reduce maggot infestation, even though humane control methods exist.

Millions of sheep are shipped to the Middle East through all weather extremes, mired in their own waste aboard open-decked ships. Many sick and injured sheep are thrown overboard to the sharks or groundup alive in mincing machines. When the survivors reach the Middle East, their throats are slit while they are still conscious.

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