‘Wear Something Vegan’ Anti-Wool Ad Up Near Destiny USA

PETA Billboard Near Mall and Animal-Exploiting New York State Fair Urges People to Steer Clear of Cruelly Obtained Wool Items, Shop Vegan

For Immediate Release:
August 30, 2018

Contact:
Audrey Shircliff 202-483-7382

As part of its new campaign to inspire consumers to shop vegan, PETA has placed a giant billboard near Destiny USA—the sixth-biggest mall in the country—showing a sheep’s sweet face alongside the words “We’re Individuals. We’re Not Sweaters. Wear Something Vegan.” The thought-provoking ad is also just a five-minute drive from The Great New York State Fair, which features a wool-judging competition and several other animal-exploiting events.

The ad is located at 504 State Fair Blvd. (at the intersection of State Fair and Hiawatha boulevards) in Syracuse and will be up for one month.

“Just like us, sheep are made of flesh and blood, feel pain and fear, and value their lives,” says PETA Campaign Manager Christina Sewell. “PETA’s billboard encourages shoppers to spare a thought for these gentle animals who are shorn bloody for sweaters and scarves in the hope that they’ll opt for cozy and humane cruelty-free clothing instead.”

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear”—has released eight exposés of 72 sheep farms on four continents revealing that the animals are beaten, stomped on, mutilated, and even skinned alive for wool. Because shearers are typically paid by volume, not by the hour, they’re driven to work quickly and carelessly. Strips of sheep’s skin—and even teats and pieces of ears—are often cut or ripped off during shearing, and the most gaping wounds are stitched up with a needle and thread and no pain relief.

In addition, a recently released study by the Higg Materials Sustainability Index ranked alpaca wool as the most environmentally damaging material by a landslide. Leather, silk, and sheep’s wool are also among the top five offenders.

For more information, please visit PETA.org.