A NEW video attacking the wool industry by animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) appears to have backfired — even with those sympathetic to its cause.
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The video features rock guitarist Jona Weinhofen holding an apparently bloodied lamb while he describes the wool industry as “very cruel” and claims sheep are shorn without regard for their welfare because shearers are paid by the number shorn.
The “lamb” is actually a prop, not a real carcass, but this is not disclosed by the presenter. The video implies, but does not state, that the injuries are the result of shearing.
Weinhofen, guitarist with rock group I Killed the Prom Queen, is a vegan campaigner and supporter of PETA.
The video attracted dozens of comments on Facebook, mostly derisive and frequently from those sympathetic to PETA’s ideals.
Jodie Hartman commented: “This is not what sheep look like after shearing. People will stop paying attention to your genuine actions when you create ridiculous campaigns like this.”
Comments also pointed out that lambs this small are not shorn.
Weinhofen displays limited knowledge of the wool industry.
“A lot of people don’t know that without interference, sheep produce just enough wool to protect themselves from temperature extremes,” he says, apparently unaware of recent escapee sheep rounded up after several years with life-threatening loads of wool.
Although he was born in Adelaide, Weinhofen refers to Australian wool producers as “ranchers” — hinting that he has not had a lot to do with farming in this country. PETA media spokeswoman Claire Fryer admitted the lamb in the video was a prop.
“It is a reflection of the abuse sheep endure when used for their wool. Attempts by wool producers and shearers to draw attention away from the abuse and cruelty inflicted upon sheep used for their wool, as exposed in the recent investigation into shearing sheds, will not succeed in pulling the wool over the Australian public’s eyes,” Ms Fryer said.
Victorian Farmers Federation representatives contacted said they had not yet seen the video.
Weinhofen’s video follows an earlier PETA production compiled from covertly captured images of incidents in shearing sheds, created to give the impression that these were routine within the industry.