Stella McCartney Cuts Ties With One of Her Wool Suppliers as PETA Video Exposes Routine Mutilations

Stella McCartney, who uses no fur, leather, or exotic skins in her collections, has cut ties with one of her wool suppliers, the Argentina-based company Ovis 21, which also supplies Patagonia and other global brands. An undercover PETA video reveals workers kneeling on struggling lambs as they saw through the animals’ necks, causing them to bleed and vomit, without any painkillers. Shearers also stomped and stood on sheep’s legs as their fast, rough shearing left animals cut and bleeding.

PETA alerted McCartney, a lifelong vegetarian and long-time PETA ally, to the investigation. She commented:

After conducting our own investigation in Argentina and throughout our supply chain, following a very distressful viewing of PETA US footage, we immediately ceased buying wool from Ovis 21. We are deeply saddened and shocked by the cruelty seen on the footage, as animal welfare is at the heart of everything we do. This is a huge set back to help saving the grasslands in Patagonia. We are now even more determined to continue our fight for animal rights in fashion together and monitor even more closely all the suppliers involved in this industry. We are also looking into vegan wool as well, in the same manner we were able to develop and incorporate high-end alternatives to leather and fur over the years.

You can see the video and more on the investigation here. 

PETA is filing a complaint with Argentinean authorities, citing Argentina’s federal animal-protection law.