13 March 2025 – FOUR PAWS’ appeal to fashion brands to stop supporting mulesing (live lamb cutting) has reached a milestone with its 100th brand signature.

The Brand Letter of Intent from global animal welfare organisation FOUR PAWS is sending a clear signal to the Australian wool industry to stop live lamb cutting (mulesing) by 2030 and transition to industry proven alternatives to maintain brand supply chains.

The call to end the cruel procedure of live lamb cutting is gaining unprecedented momentum.

100 international fashion brands, including leading names such Zara, Patagonia and Adidas, 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 live lamb cutting, which over ten million lambs endure every year on Australian farms. 

In the UK, the animated film “Be Their Voice” film has been listed as a finalist by the Smiley Charity Film Awards’ jury.

Iconic puppet Lamb Chop speaks out for lambs

Mallory Lewis, who carries on her mother Shari Lewis’ legacy by performing with the famous puppet, Lamb Chop, is one of the celebrity supporters for the “Be Their Voice” campaign.

“This is footage of lambs that look like they’ve been butchered, but they may actually still be alive... This is horrible.” says Lewis and Lamb Chop in their reaction video.

“I have always had a voice, and I need to be the voice of the little lambs.”

Watch the Lamb Chop and Mallory Lewis video here.

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 wool grower accounts reportedly associate plain-bodied sheep with higher lamb survival rates.

More info and FAQs on the issue here.