PETA’s ‘Wool Belongs To Sheep’ Campaign Gets Flagged On X, Here’s Why

PETA’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) latest online campaign advocating animal welfare backfired instantly after the nonprofit organisation spoke about the consumer clothing that came at the expense of voiceless beings. In a poster uploaded on X, PETA shared a picture of a sheep and voiced its opposition to the use of wool. “Animals are not ours to wear,” the poster read. PETA captioned its post with the statement: “Their wool belongs to them.”

The well-intentioned post by the activist group, however, gained more eyeballs than it would have asked for. Soon enough, users on X began flagging the post and a community note was added as a “context” to those who came across the viral post.

“Wool: Little Use To Sheep”

A community note added to PETA’s viral X post

read: “Many breeds of sheep need to be sheared as they do not naturally shed their wool in springtime, this can cause them to overheat and be heavy on their back. Wool that has been sheared is of little use to sheep and therfore would go to waste if not used as a fibre for clothing.”

Reactions On X

When users on the Elon Musk-owned social media platform voiced their concerns and called the campaign misleading, PETA suggested alternative clothing materials, such as vegan fabrics.

“It’s a partnership we feed them, protect them, treat any illnesses shelter them in bad weather and they give us wool,” wrote a user on X.

“The wool industry is not ethical,” claimed PETA in its response.

Their wool belongs to them 🐑💞 pic.twitter.com/RjbVB3PkFu

— PETA (@peta) November 16, 2025

When the users doubled down and mocked PETA for fighting the wrong fight, the activist group did not back down.

“Nah, they grow hair just like we do. So basically, we shouldn’t get haircuts either, by your standards?” asked a netizen.

“How about being kicked or hit—has your stylist ever used you as a punching bag? Robbing sheep of their wool is nothing like cutting someone’s hair or even shaving their head,” PETA responded.

Another user joined the heated thread and wrote: “Damn I don’t even know much animal husbandry and I know enough to say this is ignorant lol. They need to be shorn regularly.”

What Does The Science Say?

According to the conclusion of a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine, shearing a sheep may cause short-term stress, but shorn ewes (female sheep) benefit during summers when heat stress was observed.

“The results showed that the thermoregulation abilities of sheep were affected by shearing treatment and the shorn ewes were less affected by heat stress. In conclusion, based on the data of this study, shearing can be considered as a necessary management practice that requires protection for sheep from the effect of heat stress,” the study noted.

“Shearing caused short-term stress in shorn ewes but the ewes had rapidly regained their body homeostasis,” an excerpt read.

“In addition, the main effect of the shearing was observed during the periods of heat stress and shorn ewes were less affected from this stress. During the summer when sunlight comes at a right angle, shearing can be considered as a necessary management practice and the effect of heat stress can be reduced in sheep that are housed in shaded shelters.”

PETA Advert Banned

In 2019, PETA ran an advert for sheep and found itself in trouble.

“Don’t let them pull the wool over your eyes. Wool is just as cruel as fur. Go wool-free this winter,” ran PETA’s campaign. However, the group’s ad, as reported by BBC, was swiftly banned for being “misleading”.

In its claim, PETA voiced that the wool industry suffered a similar animal abuse as seen in the fur industry.

The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA), however, countered PETA’s claim by stating that the two industries could not be directly compared, as there were provisions and laws in place in the UK for sheep shearing. A sheep shorn without its skin being cut was not considered cruel, the report quoted ASA as saying.

“Pigeons Belong In Mumbai”

Recently, PETA’s Indian wing faced significant pushback on social media after its plea to welcome pigeons in Mumbai and coexist with humans was outright rejected by the public on X.

“Mumbai’s skies wouldn’t be the same without pigeons. With feeding bans, these gentle birds face starvation. Human Mumbaikars turned into “pigeons” to remind everyone pigeons belong here too.”

Also Read: ‘Pigeons Belong In Mumbai’: Why PETA Is Facing Backlash For This Campaign

The campaign, however, received a significant amount of backlash on the platform with users pointing out the health hazards posed by the pigeons.