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Joaquin Phoenix's Letter to Oz Ag Minister

Written by PETA

Posted 09-13-2007

I think it may be time for a Gladiator, Quills, and Walk the Line marathon this weekend, because two-time Oscar nominee Joaquin Phoenix has taken time away from promoting his upcoming films We Own the Night and Reservation Road to write to Australian Agriculture Minister Peter McGauran about the cruel treatment of sheep by the Australian wool industry.

Phoenix focused his letter on the two worst abuses sheep face in Australia: mulesing and live export. In case you’re not familiar with these two terms, here’s a quick explanation. Mulesing is a painful procedure in which gardening shears are used to cut skin and flesh from lambs' backsides without any painkillers. It is a crude and cheap effort to reduce maggot infestation, even though humane methods exist. Every year, millions of Australian sheep discarded by the wool industry are shipped to the Middle East and North Africa. They are crammed onto multi-tiered ships where they suffer amid the waste of thousands of other animals for weeks on end. Many suffer and die from smothering, starvation, heatstroke, injuries and disease. Each year, tens of thousands of animals die en route—almost 40,000 sheep died in 2005 alone.

Check out Phoenix’s full letter here, and join him in writing Peter McGauran here.

Tags:

vegan, sheep, wool, animals, Joaquin Phoenix, heigl, john, lennon, shatner, maher

Recent Comments

Larissa commented:

Aug 31, 2008 10:35 PM

Just one more reason I adore Joaquin Phoenix.
Will commented:

Jul 10, 2008 5:10 AM

Ok if u are against mulesing. Take a moment and count how many sheep you have shorn. Most of you wont need a moment because you never have. Mulesing is painful yes but its a much better alternative to have your insides eaten by maggots. If you grossed out by mulesing photos check out the photos of sheep with flystrike. The first difference is that the sheep with flystrike are unable to stand up. Now you see why mulesing is so necessary. It is more inhumane to NOT be mulesing sheep in an area where they may get flystrike. Finding an alternative is not a very good solution as because of the recent drought many famers don't have the money to find an alternative. Plus boycotting the wool won't help find an alternative to mulesing it will also result in more sheep dying horribly from flystrike. Mulesing is not as painful as the activist propaganda suggests it is. It is brief instant pain and a heated blade is used to seal of the wound quickly and prevent further infection.
Sarah commented:

Oct 20, 2007 8:26 AM

Why are so many people acting as if Australian farmers DON'T use any methods apart from mulesing to prevent flystrike. In fact farmers crutch sheer their sheep at the correct times have stocking densities to keep diseases at a minimum as well as checking their sheep regularly for flystrike and other pests and diseases. Of course there is pesticide to control blowflies but this is very poisonous and extremely dangerous to use surely no one wants to use such poisonous chemicals. And reducing stock densities to control fly strike? When I last checked blowflies could fly so even if stocking densities were extremely low and it isn't like sheep are overcrowded on farms anyway blowflies will still be able to fly around and lay their eggs on sheep. To SB How could you ask this "Flystrike can happen on various parts of a sheeps body so how does ripping the skin off their arses help that?" when you claim you own sheep? Mulesing prevents flystrike where sheep are most susceptible to it in the wrinkled folds of skin on their breeches. The folds of skin harbour dirt urine and faeces providing ideal conditions for flystrike and that's why mulesing is performed so that the folds aren't there to encourage flystrike. So how could you saw mulesing doesn't help prevent flystrike? To Jack It would be strongly advisable to tell people to look for alternatives to mulesing on sites other than PETA which don't consider the breed in question the use of these breeds and the fact that farmers use Integrated Pest Management a variety of methods to control blowflies.
SB commented:

Sep 24, 2007 12:13 AM

Rojo The spanish merino sheep were first brought to spain from North Africa. Merino sheep wouldn't have had so much wool as you know they have been bred that way for more profit. I did actually say in my post that farmers have a lot of sheep so can't keep an eye on them all but there are other alternatives as pointed out in many posts on this Peta blog in the past. As far as I'm aware there are farmers that do crutch their sheep mid season to help with flystrike. Those farmers that have thousands of sheep that do mules are the ones that are looking for the cheapeasy alternatives that don't cut in to their profits too much. If mulesing was the only way to prevent flystrike not my opinion then there is still pain relief but that would also cut in to the profits so not an option. By the way don't presume you know anything about my set up I don't have 5 sheep in a small paddock.
SB commented:

Sep 23, 2007 11:52 PM

Rojo Originally in Spain merino sheep wouldn't have had so much wool as you know they have been bred that way for more profit. I did actually say in my post that farmers have a lot of sheep so can't keep an eye on them all but there are other alternatives as pointed out in many posts on this Peta blog in the past. As far as I'm aware there are farmers that do crutch their sheep mid season to help with flystrike. Those farmers that have thousands of sheep that do mules are the ones that are looking for the cheapeasy alternatives that don't cut in to their profits too much. If mulesing was the only way to prevent flystrike not my opinion then there is still pain relief but that would also cut in to the profits hey!!!
rojo commented:

Sep 21, 2007 7:20 AM

SB shearing sheep twice a year results in wool length that noone wants so yes it wouldn't be so profitable. No doubt it is easier for you to watch all 5 sheep in a small block but you are comparing you abilities to those who have thousands of sheep spread over thousands of acres. from memory merino's originated from spain not exactly the coolest of countries. At least you recognise flies are a problem.
SB commented:

Sep 18, 2007 11:49 PM

Mick Flystrike can happen on various parts of a sheeps body so how does ripping the skin off their arses help that. There are alternatives noone is saying that a sheep should be allowed to just die from flystrike. When it comes down to it a farmer will have as much stock on his property so he can get as much profit from it. Farmers can't possibly keep an eye out for every sheep on their own but won't employ better management plans because it costs more money. Shearing a sheep twice a year instead of once can help with flystrike also but that also takes away profits. I have sheep myself rescued from neglectful farmers so am not ignorant to this issue and have seen flystrike but because I watch my sheep I have always caught it in time. You are the ignorant one if you think that mulesing is a good thing for these poor animals flystrike is not the only alternative if you don't mules your sheep. Sheep should never have been brought to Australia it's too hot and there are too many flies.
Laura commented:

Sep 17, 2007 2:41 PM

Mick why would you say something like that? So hacking off sheep's skin without anaesthetic is an absolute necessary is it? If the farmers really cared they would provide some sort of pain relief to the sheep first.It is all about money. Maybe you grew up thinking it was ok to treat animals like that but I am telling you right now. It's not!! Next thing you will be saying it is perfectly alright the way sheep and cattle are treated in the Middle East before slaughter living in cramped disease ridden conditions starving and getting beaten regularly. If the farmers cared so much about the animal's welfare they wouldn't let their animals be shipped to the Middle East once they get too old to produce good enough wool. The reason they do it is so they won't have one more problem to worry about anymore. It is the quick easy and cheapest option. A recipe for disaster. "Out of sight out of mind". Don't come onto this website calling us ignorant Mick take a look at yourself first.
Mike Quinoa commented:

Sep 17, 2007 10:53 AM

Mick That's why you breed for smoothskinned sheep and so prevent flystrike in the first place. Did you not read any of the other posts here?
mick commented:

Sep 16, 2007 3:14 PM

You poor poor ignorant fools. If only you knew what a sheep goes through as a result of not mulesing. Trust me I've grown up on a farm and slow death from blood poisoning is a much worse fate. Farmers are concerned for the welfare of their stock and their quality of life that is why mulesing is an absolute necessary evil. You just have no idea of what you're talking about.

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