An animal rights group has come under ridicule by some residents of a village in Dorset, England after the organization wrote a letter suggesting the town change its name from Wool to Vegan Wool.
PETA sent the letter to the parish clerk saying the town should promote kid
“Why make this animal-friendly update? Unlike wool that is stolen from sheep, vegan wool is good for animals and the environment.
“Sheep’s wool, on the other hand, has been shown to be a product of extreme cruelty.”
The letter referenced a recently released PETA Asia eyewitness investigation of the British wool industry., which claimed that shearers punched sheep in the face, stamped and stood on their heads and necks, and beat and jabbed them in the face with electric clippers.
In a joint statement released in response to the PETA investigation, British Wool, the NFU, National Sheep Association, National Association of Agricultural Contractors, and Farmers’ Union of Wales said:
“Having not had access to the footage taken by Peta we are unable to comment on this specific claim
“However, farmers and contractors in the sheep industry take animal welfare very seriously and any behaviour that is found to fall below that standard is not tolerated.”
Its name has been Wool for more than 1,000 years, but now an animal rights group has called on the Dorset village to change its name to “Vegan Wool” to take a stand against cruelty to sheep.
PETA made the request in a letter to the parish council, in which they also offered to supply every household in the parish with a blanket made out hemp, cotton or banana bark if they agreed.
Villagers ridiculed the suggestion – with many pointing out that Wool’s name derives from the old English word for well or spring rather than any association with animals.
“The name Wool should remain as it is, the idea of renaming the village is utterly ridiculous,” wrote Jayne Merchant on the Wool parish clerk’s Facebook page. ”The most idiotic idea I have come across in a long time.”
The parish wrote a cheeky post:
In light of the “Wool they, won’t they?” debate…
We would like to say that we are immensely proud of Dorset’s heritage which includes many unusual place names like Shitterton, Scratchy Bottom, The Piddle Valley, Knackers Hole and Tincleton to name but a few!
What are your favourite Dorset place names?
Others stepped in to offer their support including a sheep farmer name John Wood from Wimborne who wrote:
Please do not listen to these frankly idiotic people from peta. The truth of the matter is sheep have to be shorn for welfare there is no money made from sheep wool as it costs more to remove it than we get for it .
It is done as if we did not the sheep would overheat.
They also get maggots that eat them alive . And they also get stuck on there backs and die so far from what peta would have you believe.
Wood concluded that wool is a natural fibre that gives great benefit to people and the environment.
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