Feedlot

(Sheep and Lambs - Feedlot - 01)  This is a feedlot for sheep.  The sheep are not able to graze naturally as God intended, because there are too many crowded together and they trample down the little grass that remains, leaving muddy conditions or dusty ones in dry weather.  Unnatural food is brought to the sheep to fatten them for slaughter.  Note the way the sheep look at the photographer, as if asking for help.

(Sheep and Lambs - Feedlot - 02)  A "sea" of misery!  The United States Department of Agriculture must think this is a good thing, but they are wrong.  To deliberately inflict pain and suffering upon another living being is ungodly.  This is not what Jesus had in mind when He told Peter to "tend my sheep" (John 21:15-17).  By referring to humans as sheep, Jesus wanted Peter and us to treat each other as gently as good shepherds treated their sheep in those days.  Look at how many of the sheep and lambs are looking toward the camera for human relief, and how the lamb, just right of center is looking to mom for similar comfort.

Farm

(Sheep and Lambs - Farm - 01)  This is a factory farm where sheep are raised indoors on a wire mesh floor, which allows the feces to fall through.  At the same time, we understand, this type of "flooring" also hurts the hooves of the sheep whose feet are designed for walking on natural ground.  Sheep are treated inhumanely for the sake of monetary gain.

Wool

(Sheep and Lambs - Wool - 01)  This raw and bloody wound was deliberately inflicted upon this merino lamb, without anesthetic, in a barbaric practice known as "mulesing".  This and the following nine photos were taken by Patty Mark.  The information on mulesing was taken from a text by Coral Hull.

(Sheep and Lambs - Wool - 02)  Merino sheep, who have an exceptionally high quality fleece, also get folds in their skin in which blowflies like to lay their eggs.  Instead of providing proper care and compassion, these unscrupulous farmers (ranchers) tie the lambs down and cut these folds out of a fully conscious animal, as a so-called "preventive" measure for eliminating "flystrike".  This "procedure" is called mulesing.

(Sheep and Lambs - Wool - 03)  The barbaric practice of mulesing lambs was "invented" in 1923 by a sadistic individual named Mules.  To the best of our knowledge, this is still being done today.  People often ask us why we don't wear wool any more, since sheep aren't killed as long as they produce wool.  We hope these mulesing photos and comments will answer that question so clearly that other people will also stop wearing wool or any other animal derived product.

(Sheep and Lambs - Wool - 04)  Normally these skin folds occur in the rump, but sometimes they occur on the shoulders, too.  The bloody hand of the torturer is cutting out (mulesing) one of the shoulder folds on a fully conscious lamb.

(Sheep and Lambs - Wool - 05)  The people who perform the evil procedure of mulesing are described in the second part of Proverbs 12:10: "A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, But the compassion of the wicked is cruel."

(Sheep and Lambs - Wool - 06)  Note the pleading look on the face of this lamb.  This gentle, trusting, living soul has been betrayed by some human beings, yet he or she is still seeking help from another.  The evil act of mulesing this and other lambs must stop.  This is the easiest way:  Don't buy wool!  Click here for video on "mulesing"

(Sheep and Lambs - Wool - 07)  It is the love of money that leads to the evil of mulesing the lambs.  Note the way they are clamped down in order to be systematically mutilated.  We believe that since this man exhibits no sense of compassion, he is a sociopath.  If he weren't, he couldn't do this to the lambs.

(Sheep and Lambs - Wool - 08)  Judging from the large number of wool tufts lying on the ground, hundreds of lambs must have been mulesed, with absolutely no regard for their pain and suffering.

(Sheep and Lambs - Wool - 09)  This is another view of the lambs being strapped down on these wire torture frames.  It has been reported that among the larger flocks (10,000 or more sheep and lambs) approximately 95% of the sheep have been mulesed.

(Sheep and Lambs - Wool - 10)  Our hope and prayer is that the horrors of these photos will remain in people's minds every time they consider buying something to wear or eat, and that they will speak up and tell others until these atrocities stop.

Persian Lamb

(Sheep and Lambs - Persian Lamb Fur - 01)  Each year, approximately 4,000,000 baby Karakul lambs are killed within a day or two of their birth to make Persian lamb fur coats and trim.

(Sheep and Lambs - Persian Lamb Fur - 02)  The reason that the baby Karakul lambs are killed so soon after birth is because their tight little curls of wool begin to unwind after three days.  To the best of our knowledge, these lambs are killed by having their throats cut while they are fully conscious.

(Sheep and Lambs - Persian Lamb Fur - 03)  This  man is chasing down a new born Karakul lamb to kill him or her for his or her skin.  It is easy to see how frightened the sheep are.  They know they will never see this lamb again.  Because these lambs are so small, many of them will be killed and skinned to make one fur coat.

(Sheep and Lambs - Persian Lamb Fur - 04)  This man is killing and skinning baby Karakul lambs for their fur coats.  These skins are very valuable; but there is a much more lucrative trade in the skins of these baby lambs before they are born, in which case they kill the pregnant mothers a couple of weeks prior to the time of their giving birth.  Rightly so does the Bible teach us that the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil (1 Timothy 6:10).

(Sheep and Lambs - Persian Lamb Fur - 05)  This man is feeling the soft texture of these once living and breathing baby lambs.  In 1 John 2:16, the Bible teaches us that all evil and sin fall into three categories: the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the boastful pride of life.  The Persian lamb trade and those who wear the fur typify all three of these sins.  The fur feels good to them, it looks good to them, and they prance around proudly showing off the death they wear upon their backs and heads.  There is no concern for the suffering and death they have caused.  There is no compassion.  There is only evil.

Transport

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 04)  These sheep are being loaded onto a ship for transport to another country.  Recently, we read in the news that on one such ship bound for the Middle East, more than 3% of the 75,000 sheep on board died because of their crowded conditions and lack of care.

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 01)  Most sheep and lambs have to be transported from farms, or factory farms, to stockyards, feedlots, and slaughterhouses.  On long journeys, many are so weak that they have trouble standing up.

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 02)  Due to high temperatures and lack of water, these sheep died during their long journey .  To the ungodly, hard of heart people who allow such things to happen, these incidents are considered acceptable losses.  They couldn't have any feelings for the sufferings of these beautiful beings.  Every time we eat lamb, we participate in this suffering and death.

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 02a)  Our human lust for the flesh of another living being took the life from this beautiful animal.  Think of the panic she must have felt.  Think of the panic we would feel in a tightly packed container, like a stuck crowded elevator: the air keeps getting hotter, your thirst keeps increasing, there is no relief, and you feel your life slowly slipping away.  And no one on the outside seems to care...

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 03)  This is the "dead pile" behind a Texas stockyard, where the dead sheep and lambs are thrown.  One of them (far right) was not yet dead, and was rescued by Farm Sanctuary.  Her name is Hilda.  If Hilda could be revived and live, so could many of these other sheep, if more of our fellow human beings cared enough to help.  Or even better, if we didn't eat the flesh of lambs and sheep, they wouldn't be placed in situations where these atrocities occur.

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 05)  The sheep are crowded into trucks for shipping.  As we looked at this one looking at us, it was as if we could hear the words that Jesus spoke to Peter, "Tend My sheep."  What is happening here is an abomination of Jesus' example of a loving shepherd.  Are pastors to treat their congregations like this?

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 06)  This overly packed truckload of sheep has been baking in the hot summer sun.  These two were able to stick their heads out through a hole and are gasping for air, which the others were unable to do.  This is just another example of how the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil.

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 07)  These two sheep have also stuck their heads through the holes in the shipping container to get some fresh air.  They want to live just as much as we do!

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 08)  These are some of the sheep who didn't survive the harsh conditions of transport.  In Proverbs 12:10, the Bible tells us the nature of the people who caused this to happen:  "A righteous man has regard for the life of his beast, But the compassion of the wicked is cruel."

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 09)   Australian sheep aboard a truck, crammed in with no room to move.

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 10)  Throwing sheep from a truck to another truck at the Arava border crossing. The common place, horrific mistreatment of Australian sheep, such as in this photo, causes broken legs and severe bruising.

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 11)  Tens of thousands of sheep being loaded onto ships where they live crammed together with little food or water for several weeks.

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 12)  The dead and dying sheep are piled together on the ships and upon arrival.

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 13)  Exposed to the elements, sheep crammed in together...all these animals are subject to disease and sickness, but when confined in these conditions, outbreaks of disease become plagues.

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 14)  Overcrowded sheep in pens on the ship, literally covered and standing on feces.

(Sheep and Lambs - Transport - 15)  A sheep’s back leg is caught hanging out of a truck on its way to slaughter.

Downers

(Sheep and Lambs - Downed - 01)  In Lancaster, PA, this "downed" sheep was allowed to die slowly.  These animals are then sent to rendering plants.  Mad Cow disease is believed to have originated from the ground up and processed remains of sheep like this one being fed to cattle as a protein supplement to fatten them faster for slaughter.

Slaughter

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 01)  Even though this photo shows the horror of slaughter, it is almost as nothing when compared to atrocities of production line slaughterhouses.  Money is of more importance than mercy, for greed and self-indulgence flows as a river of blood from those who lust for flesh on their plates.

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 02)  This sheep is being carried into a store to be slaughtered as part of a dedication ceremony.  What bothers us most about this photo is the seeming joy on the face of the man carrying the sheep.  There is absolutely no concern for the welfare of the animals.

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 03)  Inside the store, the people gather around to watch the fully conscious sheep having his or her throat slit.

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 04)  As the knife slices through the throat, and the blood begins to flow, the sheep begins to struggle and writhe in pain.

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 05)  As the sheep struggles, the people more back.  We also think it is very appropriate that the sheep dedicated the store with his or her poop (see the pile of round balls to the left of the sheep).

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 06)  In fear and pain, the fully conscious sheep thrashes violently on the floor.  Surely this is not what God wants.

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 07)  The struggling continues as the sheep's life's blood runs out and splatters around on the floor.

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 08)  And the pain and struggling continues...

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 09)  In fear, pain, and desperation, the sheep continues to struggle in a futile attempt to save his or her life.  Remember these scenes the next time you think about "what's for dinner".

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 10)  And the people, from a "safe" distance, watch the sheep struggling and slowly bleed to death.

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 11)  As if the pain and suffering wasn't great enough already, the slaughterer moves forward and begins to cut off the lower portion of a foreleg while the sheep is still alive.

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 12)  And the leg is severed...

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 13)  And the sheep pulls back the stump of his leg...

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 14)  In the video, the movement of the severed leg can be clearly seen as the slaughterer reaches for the other foreleg.  The sheep is still alive!

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 15)  And even though the sheep is not completely dead, the slaughterer begins to slice open the belly.

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 16)  If these photos have horrified you, that's good!  They're intended to do just that.  Our hope and prayer is that they horrified you enough to speak out against the unbelievable cruelty of the animal agriculture industry, and to stop buying their products. When their money dries up, they will stop their cruelty.

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 17)  Sheep slaughter as part of a military ceremony in Iran.

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 18) Sacrificial slaughter to "bless" new homes or cars or anything else people want to "protect."

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 19)  The public slaughter of sheep is a common occurrence throughout Iran.

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 20)  Animals are slaughtered on public streets in view of everyone, including children.

(Sheep and Lambs - Slaughter - 21) Public slaughters draw huge crowds at "official" sites throughout Iran where blood literally runs in the streets.