Most Shoppers Don’t Know Sheep Are Killed in the Wool Industry, New Poll Reveals 

For Immediate Release:
November 6, 2025

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

A new survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults commissioned by PETA and conducted by The Harris Poll has found that 64% were unaware that sheep in the wool industry are sent to slaughter when their wool production declines and 73% said they would likely reconsider purchasing wool if they learned sheep are mistreated even on so-called “ethical” or “responsible” farms. The survey also found that if given the choice between a wool or non-wool item with comparable warmth, comfort, style and durability, 70% of U.S. adults would choose a non-wool item.

The poll comes on the heels of two explosive PETA Asia-Pacific investigations into New Zealand farms and shearing sheds that produce ZQ-certified wool, which is sold by retailers including Allbirds, Smartwool, Loro Piana, and Helly Hansen and claims to be “the world’s leading ethical wool brand.” The first investigation revealed that terrified sheep were kicked, beaten, punched, whipped, pinned down, thrown, and left with gaping wounds during shearing. The second was taken at a slaughterhouse owned by Silver Fern Farms—which purchases sheep from ZQ-certified farms once their fleece production declines—and shows sheep being forced onto conveyer belts, electroshocked in the head, and violently killed.

“Today’s kind shoppers don’t want sheep to be beaten, bloodied, or killed to make their hats and sweaters, which is why more and more of them are saying ‘no’ to wool,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA urges clothing brands to read the room and switch to the luxurious vegan fashion that consumers demand.”

Sheep can identify and remember around 50 other individual sheep. They grow depressed if isolated from their flock and can even detect anxiety in another sheep simply by observing their face. PETA entities have investigated more than 150 wool industry operations in seven countries on four continents, revealing that even on “sustainable,” “ethical,” and “responsible” farms, extreme cruelty and violence are rampant.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.

Survey Method:

This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of PETA from May 13 – 15, 2025 among 2068 ages 18 and older.  The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval.  For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.5 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact Moira Colley [email protected].