PETA Calls on Lord Mayor to Cancel London’s Cruel, ‘ULEZ-Defying’ Sheep Drive

PETA Calls on Lord Mayor to Cancel London’s Cruel, ‘ULEZ-Defying’ Sheep Drive

London – Ahead of the annual Woolmen Sheep Drive across London Bridge on 27 September, PETA has sent a letter (available here), to Lord Mayor Dame Susan Langley urging her to cancel the event, pointing out that forcing sheep through crowds and city noise is stressful for the animals and that celebrating the environmentally damaging wool industry flies in the face of London’s climate commitments, including the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ).

“Sheep are prey animals who’ve evolved to be hyper-vigilant to threats, making them especially sensitive to noise and unfamiliar surroundings,” says PETA Vice President of Programmes Elisa Allen. “Forcing them to cross a busy London bridge amid crowds, traffic, and city noise is frightening and stressful. Tradition is no excuse for distressing animals, and it’s time for London to evolve by ending this outdated event.”

PETA notes that sheep are highly social animals who form strong bonds with each other. They grow depressed if isolated from their flock and communicate their emotions through facial expressions, just like humans. PETA entities have now released 17 exposés of over 150 wool industry operations in seven countries, including England # – revealing that even on self-proclaimed “ethical” and “responsible” farms, extreme cruelty and violence are rampant. 

In addition, the UK’s more than 30 million sheep produce methane, a greenhouse gas that is 80 times more powerful than carbon dioxide in warming the Earth. Rearing sheep also generates massive amounts of faecal waste and contributes to soil erosion and habitat destruction. The Made-By Environmental Benchmark for Fibres ranks sheep’s wool as a “Class E” fibre – the most severe category – based on its greenhouse gas emissions, toxicity to humans, eco-toxicity, and use of energy, land, and water. In contrast, it gives hemp its highest “Class A” ranking.

PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” – points out that when it comes to the ability to feel pain, hunger, and thirst, a sheep is a dog is a boy. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk or follow PETA on Facebook, X, TikTok, or Instagram.  

Contact:

Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327; [email protected]

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