Save the Sheep - Tikkun Olam Tuesday

Okay Fiber Artists,

WE MUST BOYCOTT AUSTRAILIAN MERINO WOOL IN ANY AND ALL FORMS.

http://www.savethesheep.com/default.asp

This Tikkun Olam Tuesday is hugely important to those of us working with wool. When my friend Sara told me about this issue I honestly couldn't believe my ears. Then, I went online and looked into it, and it is all TRUE.

Please look into these horrific and senseless actions that are being perpetrated on Australian Merino Sheep. Honestly, I felt so sickened by the acts of cruelty that I couldn't continue to read about what is happening. So, I posted the link above for you to see for yourself. We must boycott all Australian Merino wool and fiber in order to protect sheep from abuse.

A quote from the Save the Sheep webpage:
In Australia, where more than 50 percent of the world’s merino wool—which is used in products ranging from clothing to carpets—comes from, lambs are forced to endure a gruesome procedure called mulesing, in which huge chunks of skin and flesh are cut from the animals’ backsides, without any painkillers. Millions of these sheep are then shipped to the Middle East on crowded multilevel ships. These journeys, which can last for months, are to countries where animal welfare standards are non-existent. The suffering sheep are dragged off the ships, loaded onto trucks, and dragged by their ears and legs to unregulated slaughterhouses, where their throats are slit while they are still conscious.

As long as Australia is tolerating cruelty toward Merino Sheep, I promise that I will NEVER knowingly purchase Australian Merino Wool of any form and that I will actively seek to avoid purchasing Australian Merino Wool by asking sellers and wholesale venders whether they are selling Australian Merino Wool. I am asking you to do the same - even if it means spending a few more dollars on fibers. Please post your endorsement or commitment on my blog so that we can act in unity.

Sometimes making the world a better place is expensive. This effort will be well worth the cost.