Paul Smith Implicated in PETA Exposé Revealing Goats Beaten, Dragged, and Left Bleeding for Mohair

For Immediate Release:
January 21, 2026

Contact:
Moira Colley 202-483-7382

A damning new PETA Asia investigation into mohair operations in Lesotho and South Africa which took place at several facilities certified by the misleadingly named “Responsible Mohair Standard”—including one with ties to Paul Smith’s mohair supplier—shows workers violently striking goats with brooms and poles, dragging struggling goats by their horns and legs, and pinning goats to the ground as the panicked animals cried out.

The undercover footage shows workers hauling goats around by their tails and shearing the animals so roughly that some were left wounded and bleeding. One goat suffering from a large, gaping wound was shorn as he screamed in pain. The bodies of several dead goats—including a baby goat—were filmed discarded in a heap at a “responsible” mohair facility.

“These shearing sheds are hell for terrified goats, who are tossed around like rag dolls, sliced open, and left screaming in pain, all for someone’s mohair suit or sweater,” says PETA President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is calling on Paul Smith to join the hundreds of other brands that have banned mohair and urging anyone upset by cruelty to animals to please choose only vegan materials.”

The explosive new footage marks PETA Asia’s second investigation into mohair operations in South Africa—where most of the world’s mohair originates—revealing pervasive cruelty and systemic abuse.

PETA notes that mother goats form strong bonds with their babies and that both mother and baby recognize each other’s distinct calls—or “bleats”—shortly after birth. In the mohair industry, goat kids are shorn starting as early as 6 months old. As soon as their hair quality declines or they’re deemed no longer useful, the goats are killed—well short of their natural 10-year life expectancy.

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.