Stock Handling & Animal Welfare

NZ ministry considers prosecutions in sheep shearing cruelty cases

Sheep Central January 20, 2025

NEW Zealand’s Ministry for Primary Industries could prosecute and disqualify individuals from working with animals following its investigations into PETA claims of sheep mistreatment during shearing.

Leading ethical wool marketer, the New Zealand Merino Company, has suspended two farms from its ZQ program after anti-wool activist group PETA released video footage of cruel treatment of sheep in wool sheds.

MPI’s director compliance and response Glen Burrell said a dedicated team at MPI has completed the first phase of an investigation into allegations of mistreatment of sheep connected to shearing practices.

“Our team has analysed 235 video files and we continue to speak to PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), industry groups and farm owners, and have also made proactive visits to farms,” he said.

“I want to thank everyone for their support and cooperation so far.

“We have identified some instances in the video footage which are very concerning, and these are our focus in the next phase of the investigation,” Mr Burrell said in a statement.

“There are a range of actions we can take in response, to ensure the protection of animals and to hold those who mistreat animals to account.

“In this case it could include prosecution and disqualifying individuals from working with animals,” he said.

The MPI is also working with wool sector groups to establish an oversight group to support good animal welfare practice and continuous improvement in the industry.

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Comments

  1. Olive Eyre, February 1, 2025

    This is criminal torture inflicted on sheep. You should be ashamed of what you do to sheep. Become more responsible in what you do, and handle sheep responsibly and painlessly, like we do in the UK when shearing takes place.

  2. Jude Tyson, January 22, 2025

    That’s absolutely disgusting. Who protects the sheep? Cameras would best deterrent. If they haven’t anything to hide, why should they object? Unbelievable and unnecessary violence. They should be blacklisted. Maybe should be checking on their families too.

    • Glenn Nix, January 27, 2025

      Handpieces are dangerous. A loose sheep on a shearing board can harm other sheep, shearers and shed staff. A handpiece knocked free dances over a board at high speed. Sheep need to be restrained. PETA lies and embellishes, and for people who don’t understand what they are looking at they want to suck you and your cash in. Farmers don’t punch their sheep even though PETA said so, but didn’t show a farmer punching. Yes the odd shearer does, but it’s frowned on and discouraged. People get sacked. Their hyperbole and voice over only tells the worst as standard practice. Pain relief is often in sheds and shearers have also used it off label on themselves. Sheep do die on occasion at shearing; the stress gets to some. We have had heart attacks while shearing. For some reason PETA thinks shearing a dead sheep is cruel, not to is wasteful. A sick unwell sheep can go down and get crushed, but that’s rare and not a everyday occurrence as they made out. We shore nearly 7000 this year and not one death from crushing, just one from nervous a condition. I shoot some arthritic sheep after shearing, but away from shed. It’s not safe near the shed with people and it is legal to cut a sheep’s throat. The ‘not anything to hide’ should apply to you as well? Maybe we can put you under surveillance and add a creepy voice-over guy.

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