It’s a myth that Merinos are well adapted to the Australian environment. In truth, selective breeding has left them susceptible to disease and parasites. To combat these, sheep endure multiple mutilations and assaults with no pain relief, including tail docking, tooth grinding, immersion in toxic pesticides, and the grisly “mulesing”, where folds of skin beneath the tail are sliced away, leaving an agonizing, bleeding wound the size of a dinner plate.
Meet Brooklyn, saved from the slaughterhouse by the Uproar rescue team
Wild sheep grow a thick coat for winter and shed it in summer. Farmed sheep are subject to wool prices and farming schedules, and many die from extreme weather conditions after shearing. Careless handling during shearing can result in bloody wounds, burns and severe bruising. An eyewitness remarks that “the shearing shed must be one of the worst places in the world for cruelty to animals”.
The bloody reality of sheep farming in Australia. Millions of sheep are 'mulesed' each year, skin cut away without pain relief in order to prevent flystrike.
Around 8 million Australian sheep die every year from hypothermia, drought, poor nutrition, lambing difficulties, flystrike, lameness and viral illnesses. 20% of lambs die in their first weeks of life from disease, exposure or malnutrition. Many deaths are blamed on foxes and dingoes, when the real cause is human neglect.
Sheep are gentle, affectionate animals who bond readily with humans and flock members.
