Pink's wool fury

Dec 21, 2006, 12:00 GMT

Pink has called for a boycott of woolly jumpers.

The singer has joined forces with animal rights group PETA to urge people to boycott the Australian wool industry in a bid to force them to end their controversial practice of 'mulesing' - when farmers cut skin from around the rear ends of sheep to prevent fly infestations.

Pink narrates a graphic PETA video which shows workers snipping folds of skin on the backsides of struggling sheep.

She said: "The wool trade uses methods so sadistic that it makes you consider clearing your closet of any animal products.

"I am calling on consumers to check labels on sweaters before buying them, and if they're merino wool or made in Australia, to leave them on the racks."

Museling is used to create scar tissue that prevents a painful and often deadly condition called 'fly strike', but PETA argue that there are more humane ways to prevent the affliction.

PETA spokesman Michael McGraw said: "PETA is thrilled that Pink is leading our global boycott of Australian wool until the industry's bizarre, cruel lamb mutilations stop.

"Pink has attracted more attention to the problem of mulesing in the past 24 hours than the issue has received in the past 24 years."

But president of Australia's Wool Producers and chairman of the Wool and Sheep Industry Taskforce Robert Pietsch said the industry is working to phase mulesing out by 2010 and has been conducting extensive trials on other ways to prevent fly strike.

He said: "Mulesing is the best practice at the moment to protect sheep against the horrible condition of blowfly strike."

(C) BANG Media International