Target: Julie Collins, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Canberra, Australia
Goal: Establish and enforce a national, time-bound phase-out of live lamb cutting with penalties for violators and urgent support for breeding flystrike-resistant sheep.
Australia’s wool industry still relies heavily on live lamb cutting (mulesing), a procedure in which skin is sliced from a lamb’s hindquarters, leaving raw, exposed wounds that can take weeks to heal. More than 10 million lambs endure this each year. The practice causes intense pain, invites infection and flystrike at the very moment lambs are weakest, and is increasingly rejected by consumers around the world.
Industry bodies and animal-protection organizations alike are now calling for a coordinated, national strategy to move away from this outdated procedure. Genetics programs already exist to breed flystrike-resistant, wrinkle-free sheep who don’t require having flesh removed. Modern pain relief is widely available, yet it is no substitute for ending the cutting itself. Persisting with live lamb cutting is unethical and unnecessary when viable alternatives are at hand.
A federal plan—with firm deadlines, mandatory reporting, and real consequences for non-compliance—can end this suffering while safeguarding producer livelihoods. Sign below to demand the government immediately mandate best-practice pain relief during the transition, fund rapid genetic transition to resistant flocks, require clear “no live cut” labeling, and set an enforceable ban date after which performing live lamb cutting triggers penalties. It is time to end this cruelty and align Australian wool with modern welfare standards and market expectations.
PETITION LETTER:
Minister Collins,
Live lamb cutting inflicts severe pain and leaves lambs with large, open wounds that can take weeks to heal. Despite well-established alternatives—selective breeding for flystrike resistance, improved husbandry, and proven pain-management protocols—millions of lambs still suffer this procedure every year. Consumers and markets are moving away from wool produced through live cutting, and Australia risks falling behind both ethically and economically.
We urge you to lead a national, time-bound phase-out of live lamb cutting and to enforce it. This plan should include: (1) immediate nationwide requirements for best-practice multimodal pain relief wherever procedures occur during the transition; (2) dedicated funding, targets, and extension services to accelerate genetic transition to flystrike-resistant, wrinkle-free flocks; (3) transparent auditing and public reporting; (4) clear, enforced penalties for facilities or producers who continue live lamb cutting beyond the phase-out timeline; and (5) honest labeling so buyers can choose wool that is free from live cutting.
Australia can protect lambs from needless pain while supporting producers through a practical transition that delivers long-term welfare and market gains. Please act now to end live lamb cutting and ensure accountability for any continued use once a ban is in place.
Sincerely,
[Your Name Here]
Photo credit: Daniel Fagerman
