Half a Million Voices Call for Change

500,000 supporters. Eight cities. One clear message: it is time to end live lamb cutting.

In June, FOUR PAWS campaigners delivered a powerful message directly to Australian embassies and consulates across Europe, the United States and Australia. Armed with a petition signed by half a million supporters worldwide, our teams called on the Australian government to finally end live lamb cutting (mulesing) by 2030 and bring animal welfare standards in line with growing public expectations and market demands.

From London to Washington D.C., Berlin to Melbourne, supporters, campaigners and animal welfare advocates stood together to demonstrate that the world is watching – and increasingly unwilling to accept a practice that causes immense suffering to millions of lambs every year.

Australia produces around 80% of the world's fine apparel wool and remains the only country where live lamb cutting continues. Every year, an estimated ten million lambs undergo the painful procedure, whereby strips of skin are cut away from their hindquarters, without adequate pain relief.

The practice is carried out to prevent flystrike, a serious welfare issue affecting sheep. However, a pain-free and proven alternative exists: breeding plain-bodied sheep that are naturally resistant to flystrike and therefore do not require lamb cutting.

More than two decades ago, in 2004, representatives of the Australian wool industry publicly committed to phasing out live lamb cutting by 2010. Yet, despite this promise and growing international concern, the practice continues today.

With a proven alternative, there is no justifiable reason to continue live lamb cutting. Governments across Australia must provide leadership by committing to a phase-out of this outdated and unnecessary practice by 2030.

The petition handover marked a significant milestone in FOUR PAWS' campaign to end live lamb cutting.

In June 2026, our teams coordinated actions across eight countries to capture public attention and directly engage Australian diplomatic representatives. As part of these actions, petitions were formally handed to Australian ambassadors and embassy officials, with a clear request that they convey our demands to the Australian Government – particularly the Minister for Agriculture – to end live lamb cutting and commit to a phase-out of the practice.

In Bern, for example, campaigners marched through the city accompanied by a life-sized sheep figure before delivering the petition to the Australian Embassy.

In Berlin, a specially designed animation depicting live lamb cutting was projected onto the facade of the Australian Embassy, transforming the building into a powerful canvas for animal welfare advocacy.

Following coordinated petition handovers in eight countries, the action culminated in Melbourne, Australia, where FOUR PAWS brought the issue directly to policymakers. At a parliamentary event, Members of Parliament formally received the petition and tabled it in the Victorian Parliament, ensuring the voices of local and global citizens were heard at the highest levels of government. To further raise public awareness, a campaign truck travelled across Melbourne, helping thousands of Australians learn more about a practice that remains largely hidden from public view.

Whether in Europe, North America or Australia itself, the message was consistent: the time for promises has passed. The time for action is now.

The call to end live lamb cutting is no longer coming solely from animal welfare organisations. 

The fashion and textile industry has increasingly recognised that animal welfare forms an essential part of responsible sourcing strategies. Today, more than 340 fashion and apparel brands have publicly committed to sourcing certified live lamb cut-free (mulesing-free) wool. 

In addition, around 150 international apparel brands have signed FOUR PAWS' Brand Letter of Intent, urging both the Australian wool industry and government to phase out live lamb cutting by 2030. Among these companies are globally recognised brands such as Adidas, Hugo Boss, Inditex, and Patagonia. 

This growing momentum reflects a broader shift across the fashion sector. Brands are increasingly expected to demonstrate transparency throughout their supply chains, while consumers want assurance that the products they purchase align with their values. 

As demand for higher animal welfare standards continues to grow, ending live lamb cutting is becoming not only an ethical imperative but also an economic one.

For many years, live lamb cutting has represented a growing challenge to Australia's reputation as a leading wool producer.

International markets are evolving rapidly, with retailers, brands and consumers placing greater emphasis on animal welfare credentials. As other wool-producing nations have moved away from practices such as live lamb cutting, Australia increasingly finds itself under scrutiny.

The delivery of this petition demonstrates that concern about live lamb cutting extends far beyond the animal welfare community.

It includes fashion brands seeking responsible wool, textile professionals working towards more ethical supply chains, consumers demanding greater transparency, and hundreds of thousands of supporters who believe animals deserve better treatment.

Together, these voices are helping to create unprecedented pressure for change.

The solution exists. The industry has had decades to implement it. Now, governments must act.

As long as millions of lambs continue to endure live lamb cutting, FOUR PAWS will continue to campaign for a future where wool production no longer comes at the expense of animal welfare.