64% of Americans Don’t Know the Answer to This Question
Did you know that sheep are killed in the wool industry? According to a new poll, you probably didn’t. A survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults commissioned by PETA and conducted by The Harris Poll[1] found that a whopping 64% of Americans were unaware that sheep are slaughtered when their wool production declines. What else do people not know about the wool industry?
Most Americans Don’t Know What Happens to Sheep Used for Wool
Sheep are friendly, social animals who can distinguish between different expressions in humans and sheep alike. Sheep can recognize the faces of at least 50 other sheep and can remember images for up to two years. However, in the wool industry, personable sheep are treated as nothing more than commodities for their fleece.
According to the poll, 73% of Americans said they would likely reconsider purchasing wool if they learned sheep are abused even on self-described “ethical” or “responsible” farms. But sheep suffer and die for wool every day.
PETA entities have investigated more than 150 wool industry operations in seven countries on four continents, revealing that extreme cruelty and violence are rampant. Two of the most explosive PETA Asia-Pacific investigations into New Zealand farms and shearing sheds that produce ZQ-certified wool reveal that “ethical” doesn’t mean much to the wool industry.
The first investigation revealed that workers kicked, beat, and punched gentle sheep and left them 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. The footage shows workers forcing sheep onto conveyor belts, electroshocking them in the head, and slicing their throats.
The Good News: You Can Make a Difference
Whether from ZQ-certified farms or not, every sheep used for wool is exploited from the shearing shed to the slaughterhouse. Thankfully, the PETA/Harris Poll also found that today’s kind shoppers don’t want sheep to be beaten, bloodied, or killed to make their hats and sweaters. The poll found that if given the choice between a wool or non-wool item with comparable warmth, comfort, style, and durability, 70% of Americans would choose the non-wool, animal-free item.
Speak up for sheep: Urge brands like Smartwool, Loro Piana, and Helly Hansen to use only compassionate vegan materials and stop supporting the cruel wool industry.
[1] This survey was conducted online within the United States by The Harris Poll on behalf of PETA from May 13 – 15, 2025 among 2068 people 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.
