As many people already know, PETA is an animal welfare organisation in America which has, currently, been campaigning against the mulesing of sheep across the globe.

But does the lack of mulesing really benefit or help the sheep?

The fact is that it creates the risk of the sheep becoming fly blown, meaning that flies lay their eggs in the sheep's backside and the resulting maggots eat the sheep's flesh. The resulting wounds easily become infected and mostly result in horrible and painful deaths.

Is PETA really caring for the animals if it allows for sheep to be put at risk? Mulesing sheep isn't for asthetic reasons, it's for a good purpose, to prevent cruel and horrible deaths. Is it right for an animal welfare group to be pressing for people to boycott a market that feels the comparitively small pain of losing the tail is nothing in comparison to the torture endured being fly blown?

The mulesing of dogs has been used as a reasoning for their campaign by some people, but the fact is that they're two completely different practices. Sure, it's the same method, the same result, but one large difference: Docking the tail of a dog isn't to stop it from getting killed by maggots.