Vienna, 10 March 2025 – Four years after its launch, the appeal to fashion brands to stop mulesing (live lamb cutting) celebrates its 100th signature support. Rhea, New Look and Active Brands sign the Brand Letter of Intent of the global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS, sending a clear signal for more animal welfare in the industry. The growing, now triple-digit number of international companies will increasingly urge the Australian wool industry to stop the brutal process by 2030, and transition to industry proven alternatives that are kind to animals.

The movement to end the cruel procedure of live lamb cutting is gaining unprecedented momentum. 100 international fashion brands, including leading names such Zara, Patagonia and Hugo Boss, have publicly committed to excluding wool sourced from live lamb cutting by signing FOUR PAWS’ Brand Letter of Intent. In the open letter, they also call on the Australian wool industry to put an end to this cruel practice.

Be Their Voice: Celebrities amplify campaign

Following last year´s launch of 'Be Their Voice' – a star-studded animated film with support from Hollywood actors Danielle Macdonald and Scott Evans - FOUR PAWS teamed up with LA production company, Pollution Studios, to create a series of emotionally charged videos. Volunteering their time, celebrities sat in pairs in front of a monitor that played actual footage of the cruel practice that over ten million lambs endure every year on Australian farms.

In the UK, the animated film  'Be Their Vocie' film has been listed as a finalist by the Smiley Charity Film Awards’ jury and has a chance of winning and being awarded on International Day of Happiness on 20 March. 

Famous support comes from lamb puppet

Mallory Lewis, the daughter who carried on her mother’s legacy by performing with the famous lamb puppet, Lamb Chop, is also one of the celebrity supporters. After Shari Lewis’ passing, Mallory took over the iconic character, keeping the charm and humor alive. She has performed on television, in live shows, and at various events, captivating audiences with Lamb Chop's witty banter.

“This is footage of lambs that look like they’ve been butchered, but they're actually alive?... Horrible!,“ Lewis whole-heartedly digested the cruel images.

Background

Brands who have signed the letter have either fully excluded live lamb cut wool from their product range or are committed to do so by latest 2030. By signing the letter, brands are urging the Australian wool industry to transition to available and proven alternatives by 2030. The more brands advocate for a transition to certified live –lamb cut-free wool, the stronger the message to the Australian wool industry that it is time for change.

80 per cent of the fine merino wool for the global fashion market comes from Australia – the only country in the world where live lamb cutting (mulesing) is legally and commonly practiced. This procedure involves cutting large strips of skin from the hindquarters of lambs between two and twelve weeks old without the use of adequate pain relief if used at all. This causes the animals severe pain, fear and stress. This mutilation of lambs is used as a quick and cheap method of preventing fly infestation (flystrike). However, there are alternative methods available such as breeding plain-bodied sheep who are naturally resistant to fly infestation and proper management of the animals. This can eliminate both flystrike and lamb cutting. Additionally, industry research and farmers’ accounts reportedly associate plain-bodied sheep with higher lamb survival rates.