On Friday, animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) called out renowned BBC Sports presenter Gary Lineker for participating in an online advertorial campaign for Next clothing. The campaign featured suits made of mohair obtained from Angora goats in “cruel and inhumane” ways.
Yvonne Taylor – Peta’s vice president of corporate projects – expressed her outrage: “Most shoppers would be disgusted that mohair jumpers and suits are made from the hair of abused goats who cry out in fear when they are pinned down”. She accused Next of profiteering off such unethical practices.
This comes as a major blow to Lineker, who has been long revered as an advocate of values such as integrity and respect. Despite this setback, it is still unclear whether Lineker will continue his partnership with Next or move away from the collaboration.
New evidence has revealed the horrific mistreatment of goats in South African mohair production. Goats are reportedly being subjected to unspeakable cruelty, including having their hair forcibly torn out with metal rakes, which leaves them shaking in shock and covered in bloody wounds. The evident fear they experience illustrates they are nothing more than a disposable commodity in this industry.
In light of this danger, a number of well-known high-street brands such as Marks & Spencer, Zara, H&M and Gap have already taken steps to show their support for animal wellbeing by banning mohair items from future collections. Now there is further call on businesses to denounce the cruel treatment inflicted on these animals in order to create their products, and shift to animal-friendly vegan material instead.