Peta becomes shareholder in Boohoo to push wool ban

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) has announced that it has acquired shares in Boohoo in a bid to persuade the group to ban wool after it backtracked on its original plan to in February.

Peta US made the announcement on Thursday, saying the move would allow its representatives to attend the group’s upcoming annual general meeting and speak to other shareholders and executives about the wool ban.

"It's time boohoo group proved that it's a real leader in global retail by standing by its compassionate initial decision to ban wool," Peta director of corporate projects, Yvonne Taylor, said in a statement. "As a shareholder, Peta US will be able to push the retailer's management to do the responsible thing for shareholders and animals alike by showing that no jumper or scarf is worth kicking, punching, and killing gentle sheep on the shearing floor."

In February, Boohoo group, which owns brands Boohoo, BoohooMan, PrettyLittleThing, and Nasty Gal, announced that it would be banning wool from its products, but went back on the decision just hours later.

After being commended by Peta for the initial ban announcement - which would have reportedly been the first such ban by any major fashion retailer - Boohoo group released a revised statement, saying: “Boohoo continues to assess all options as part of its ongoing commitment to a more sustainable future. We are committed to ensuring the wool used in our supply chain comes from good husbandry and meets high levels of animal welfare, and will continue to use wool as a sustainable material. "We are engaging with PETA and the relevant parties to discuss options that will balance our customer demand, animal welfare and sustainable future”.

Since 2014, Peta has released 11 exposés of 99 wool industry facilities on four continents, including in the UK, and says that it has found cases of systemic abuse in every one.

Photo credit: Boohoo media centre