Mohair goat

Mohair

Curly haired mohair goats endure repeated exposure to cruel sheering processes and painful mutilations for fashion products

20.10.2023

Mohair is a luxury fibre produced from the long curly hair of angora goats and often found in high-end fashion products. But to produce these luxury products goats must repeatedly endure an often painful and stressful shearing process. They are forcefully pinned down while time-constricted workers rush to remove their coats with sharp shears that often cause injury. Injured animals are not provided with pain relief or treatment, and the wounds are prone to infection. 

“We have seen video footage of shearers dragging goats by their horns, legs and even tails.”

Jessica Medcalf, Global Corporate Engagement Manager, FOUR PAWS

Goats are particularly vulnerable to developing pneumonia when sheared in cold and wet conditions and can die as a result.  

They are also subject to painful mutilations without any anaesthetic. When just one to two weeks of age they are de-horned using a hot iron or a caustic chemical paste which can cause severe burns and even blindness if it touches the goat’s eyes. Male kid goats are given no pain relief during the painful and stressful castration process. 

Cashmere Goat

What are we doing?

FOUR PAWS refuses to allow this suffering to remain hidden. We are exposing the truth behind fashion, we are contributing to the development of animal welfare certification initiatives, and we are supporting them to make the changes needed to stop animals suffering in the name of fashion. And a growing number of people are standing with us. 

Through our Wear it Kind programme, we are building a worldwide movement of people, designers, and brands who are demanding kindness to animals used in fashion.

Cashmere Goat

What You Can Do

  • Take the Wear it Kind pledge and show the world you want fashion free from animal suffering.
  • Use our Wear it Kind Shopping Guide and Kind Knitting Guide to find out more about alternative materials to cashmere and other ways you can show compassion in fashion.
  • If you do want to purchase mohair, at a minimum ensure it is Responsible Mohair Standards (RMS) certified.

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