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PETA Asia, the branch of the organisation which is dealing with all incidents of cruelty to sheep, has launched a formal complaint with the Scottish SPCA after an eyewitness says they documented the horrendous abuse.



PETA say the abuse was witnessed on 24 farms in West Lothian, Fife, Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, East Lothian, Midlothian and South Lanarkshire.



The 12-page complaint includes claims that wool workers "struck terrified sheep in the face with electric clippers, slamming their heads into the floor, beating and kicking them, and throwing them off shearing trailers".



PETA said the footage obtained by the eyewitness highlights "just some of the cruelty" at 24 sheep farms toured by shearers from a shearing contractor earlier this year.



The upsetting clips seemingly show workers attacking animals, swearing at them, hitting them with sticks and pinning them to the floor by standing on their throats.



Some animals are shown with horrific cuts which are pouring with blood.



The animal rights group says criminal charges should be filed against the workers for apparent violations of laws prohibiting cruelty to animals, where appropriate.



In August, PETA Asia released the first-ever video exposé of cruelty within the English wool industry, showing similar abuse.

A farmworker in Scotland stands on a sheep's neck

Everywhere that eyewitnesses from PETA Asia and its affiliates go they see the same disturbing behaviour PETA Asia Senior Vice President Jason Baker

PETA Asia Senior Vice President Jason Baker, said: "After exposing cruelty within the English wool industry, we've found the same horrifying abuse of sheep at farms in Scotland.



"Everywhere that eyewitnesses from PETA Asia and its affiliates go – from Australia and the US to South America and now the United Kingdom – they see the same disturbing behaviour.



"The production of all wool – no matter where it originated or what 'ethical' or 'responsibly sourced' claims are made on its label – spells extreme suffering and death for millions of gentle sheep and lambs."



PETA said shearers are paid by volume, not by the hour, which encourages fast, violent handling.

The footage shows sheep being kicked off trailers

At one point a farmworker says he needs to shoot one of the animals

They claim it leads to "gaping wounds" on the animals' bodies.



Shearers stitch these up using a needle and thread – but no pain relief is provided.



Scottish SPCA Chief Superintendent Mike Flynn said: “We can confirm we have received reports of alleged abuse within wool farms in Scotland.



“Our investigations are currently ongoing.”

The upsetting footage has triggered an SPCA intestigation