Former Playboy Bunny and author of Only Say Good Things Crystal Hefner joined PETA to expose the suffering behind cashmere. By unveiling the horrors of this bloody industry, she hopes to inspire consumers to make compassionate choices and end cruelty in the name of fashion.

“Cashmere doesn’t ooze luxury—it oozes blood.”

—Crystal Hefner

PETA has released the results of multiple investigations into the cashmere industry, proving that no matter where it originates or what assurances companies give, all cashmere comes from goats whose hair is violently and repeatedly stolen from them before they’re slaughtered.

The first PETA Asia investigation into the cashmere industry in China and Mongolia—the world’s top cashmere exporters—revealed some of the extreme suffering and killing of cashmere goats. PETA Asia eyewitnesses saw workers hold down and step on panicked goats who screamed as workers tied their legs together and ripped the hair out of their sensitive skin with sharp metal combs—a terrifying process that usually takes an hour per animal. This barbaric procedure left the goats with bloody cuts for which they were given no pain relief or veterinary care. One worker simply poured rice wine into an animal’s wound.

Cashmere goats deemed no longer profitable endure slow, agonizing deaths. At a slaughterhouse in China, eyewitnesses saw workers hit animals in the head with a hammer in an attempt to stun them. In Mongolia, workers dragged goats by one leg onto the slaughterhouse floor before slitting their throats in full view of other goats. They were left to bleed out on the filthy kill floor, and some were still moving a full two minutes later.

China has no penalties for abusing animals on cashmere farms, and the situation in Mongolia appears to be much the same. The best way to help these goats is to refuse to support this cruel industry—by never buying anything made of cashmere.

Cruelty Isn’t Cozy

Join Crystal in refusing to purchase products made of cashmere and spreading awareness to help end the suffering of goats and other animals exploited by the fashion industry. When you’re shopping, always check every item’s label, and if it includes the word “cashmere,” leave the item on the shelf. And be sure to look out for other animal-derived materials: Sheep, rabbits, alpacas, and other animals are victims of the fashion industry, too, so steer clear of wool, mohair, and angora.