Forever 21 has come under fire from animal rights group PETA over a video exposé that shows sheep being mistreated on farms in Australia that reportedly supply to the US teen apparel retailer.

New video footage recorded on sheep farms in Australia shows workers “beating petrified sheep in the face, deliberately mutilating them, and cutting their throats while they were fully conscious,” according to the animal rights group. PETA says it is now launching a worldwide campaign against Forever 21 to urge it to stop supporting the abusive wool industry.

“Forever 21 knowingly supports cruelty to animals by selling clothing that’s a product of violence and extreme suffering,” says PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk. “PETA is appealing to the company to show that it opposes such horrific abuse by going wool-free.”

PETA Asia says it has asked Australian law-enforcement officials to investigate the findings for violations of each state’s Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and to file appropriate charges.

“These new videos mark the 10th and 11th global exposés of the wool industry that PETA US has shared with the company, going as far back as 2014,” the animal rights group says. “PETA affiliates have documented cruelty to sheep on 27 farms in Australia and a total of 99 properties on four continents.”

A spokesperson for Forever 21 told just-style in a statement: “Forever 21 takes the issues of ethical sourcing and animal welfare extremely seriously and has worked with PETA on several important initiatives over the years, including our fur-free policy and permanent ban on Angora rabbit hair. To the best of our knowledge, Forever 21 does not source any materials from farms in Australia and therefore refutes the accuracy of PETA’s claims. We remain deeply committed to working with vendors that employ strict animal welfare practices.”

How well do you really know your competitors?

Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.

Company Profile – free sample

Thank you!

Your download email will arrive shortly

Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample

We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form

By GlobalData
Visit our Privacy Policy for more information about our services, how we may use, process and share your personal data, including information of your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications. Our services are intended for corporate subscribers and you warrant that the email address submitted is your corporate email address.

Most recently there have been calls for an investigation into alleged abuse of sheep on UK farmsCCTV to monitor sheep-shearing in Scotland and cruelty-to-animals charges against angora goat farmers in South Africa.