Animal Lovers Web Forum
PETA exposes Alpaca cruelty in Peru - Printable Version

+- Animal Lovers Web Forum (http://www.animalloverswebforum.com)
+-- Forum: Animals (http://www.animalloverswebforum.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=4)
+--- Forum: Sheep, Goats and Alpacas (http://www.animalloverswebforum.com/forumdisplay.php?fid=11)
+--- Thread: PETA exposes Alpaca cruelty in Peru (/showthread.php?tid=5130)



PETA exposes Alpaca cruelty in Peru - Catherine - 06-23-2020

PETA sent undercover workers into Alpaca farms and exposed the cruel conditions Alpacas endure when sheared. The animals are thrown around and handled so roughly they scream and vomit. They suffer deep wounds that are poorly cared for without pain killers.

In the light of what they uncovered  Peta is asking major fashion companies to boycott Alpaca  products. They are asking us to boycott Alpaca products.
They are also asking us to sign a petition.


https://support.peta.org/page/15864/action/1

I watched the video and it is every bit as cruel as they say. The Alpacas are not even fighting them. There is no need to treat them so cruelly.
It seems we need to boycott anything that uses animal material. We are unable to refrain from animal cruelty. Once we start taking taking from animals we take it too far. We are not content to just use animals we also seem to want to abuse them as well.

Just say no to Alpaca products.


RE: PETA exposes Alpaca cruelty in Peru - LPC - 06-24-2020

I watched the video and was truly appalled at the cruelty and industrial style, rushed piece-work method of shearing alpacas. This happened in Peru, where animal laws are quite lax and inspections of large farms are more or less non-existent. I am not aware of such appalling standards of shearing being practised or tolerated, in the USA, Canada or Europe. This is partly because alpacas are very expensive outside of Peru and Chile, so they are a valuable asset (worth between 500 and several thousand euros, depending on age and sex) and even professional farms want to keep their animals in tip-top condition for sale or breeding.

As you know, Catherine, we have three alpacas whom we love dearly. We are not professionals, just enthusiasts. For those not familiar with such delightful creatures, I should explain that shearing each year is actually necessary for their health and well-being. If not shorn, they suffer from overheating in the summer and over several years the fibre would become so long that it would become matted and very uncomfortable (like some long-haired dogs).

So shearing is necessary. The problem arises when it is done on a large, industrial scale and workers are rushing to get the job done quickly, being paid per job, not per hour.

Also, in the video the shearing is done by dumping (even throwing) alpacas on to a table. In normal shearing situations, it should be done on the floor, never rushed, with care and compassion.

We used to shear our alpacas standing up, but they tended to wriggle much more, so in the end we tried the method used by professional shearers. These are the people who travel around small alpaca herds, i.e. peripatetic self-employed professionals. They have to do a careful, non-stressful job - or they wouldn't be invited back next year.

We now use the professional method, but do it ourselves (with the help of a friend who is very skilled at shearing). The legs are stretched with cords, so that the alpacas lie without wriggling. There is absolutely *no* need to hold the ears or tail at all. When shearing the neck, the head is simply held to the floor by someone, to avoid wriggling and the risk of a cut.

The idea of stretching the legs does look strange at first, but ultimately it stops the alpaca from wriggling and getting unduly stressed. If done properly, it is the kindest and most compassionate way to shear an alpaca. We have found that out by experience.

None of the above justifies the appalling cruelty and disregard for animal welfare in the video you posted, Catherine. The faces of the men carrying out this barbarity are obscured. If I had any say in the matter, their faces would be shown! Their actions are cruelty, pure and simple.

The best video I could find of how to shear an alpaca calmly is here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vpte6MLE1Ig

If the alpacas know and love the people doing the shearing, it really can be done as calmly as that! But once things become industrial in scale, then cruelty can and will rear its ugly head.


RE: PETA exposes Alpaca cruelty in Peru - Catherine - 06-24-2020

LPC, I watched the video you posted and I have to say that Alpacas are just so cute and very gentle. 
Once they had the Alpaca on the ground it just relaxed, laid its head down and was fine with being sheared.
It didn't take that long. The Alpaca wasn't stressed and it wasn't injured. The fleece came off cleanly and neatly.
When they were done the Alpaca and the shearers all looked calm.

In the PETA video the workers wear themselves out throwing the animals around. The animals are deeply stressed and frequently injured. The fleeces are a mess and bits of wool are left behind. They do a poor job of shearing. I don't think they saved any time. All that aggression towards the Alpacas took time and energy.
They only think they are working faster because they seem to be rushing.
 Calm and steady finished the job better and in less time. The  Alpaca  quietly returned to its regular life. There was no need for first aid.

Maybe the workers in Peru need to sit and watch the video you posted. I know they have a lot more animals to clip, but surely it would go better and faster if they treated the animals better.


RE: PETA exposes Alpaca cruelty in Peru - LPC - 06-24-2020

Certainly, if things are that bad with shearing in Peru, a ban of alpaca products from that country would seem fully justified.


RE: PETA exposes Alpaca cruelty in Peru - Catherine - 06-25-2020

Quote:Certainly, if things are that bad with shearing in Peru, a ban of alpaca products from that country would seem fully justified.
I think you are right.
Right now before we buy any product that involves animals, we need to do a little research and make sure it is not the product of cruelty.
If people refuse to buy products that involve cruelty they will have to stop the cruelty or lose business.
We have the power to change things if we shop responsibly.