MISS Australia Jesinta Campbell has been urged to abandon her plans to wear a sheepskin shrug and Ugg boots as part of her national costume in the 2010 Miss Universe Pageant.
In a letter to the 18-year-old model, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) says the costume is cruel and unethical because it uses Australian wool sourced from mulesed sheep.
Mulesing is commonly practised by Australian farmers in an attempt to reduce flystrike - a disease caused by flies - but PETA Australia says the experience is "agonising" for the animals.
"In light of the cruelty involved in mulesing, we're sure that you, like any ethical person, would no more want to have wool as part of your outfit than you would want to parade around on stage wearing the skins of other victims of cruelty," PETA director of campaigns Jason Baker says in a letter.
"Mulesing puts the 'ugly' in Uggs."
PETA also gave Campbell a pair of mulesing shears to carry "as a gesture of protest".
Personally, I don't feel strongly one way or the other about the boots or the sheepskin. If I were Miss Campbell, I would continue to wear the boots and the shrug. I would wear them as my own statement that I will not be bullied by anyone.
I hope she wins.
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