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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Livestock window display? WTF Mountain Warehouse?

35 replies

ohdoublebother · 30/03/2015 22:17

As I walked DD to preschool this morning we came across this window display at the Mountain Warehouse shop in Fulham. Yes they really thought it was a nice idea to drag a bunch of lambs into the middle of London, stick them into a shop window and set a group of children and a photographer on them for some 'cuddles'. The poor little lambs looked petrified.
Couldn't they have dragged the children to the farm instead, if they really must use lambs to promote their spring range of lightweight jackets or whatever?
I'm not exactly an animal rights activist but this made me really cross.
AIBU to think the whole stunt was a bit unnecessary and cruel to the lambs?

Livestock window display? WTF Mountain Warehouse?

OP posts:

butterfly2015 · 30/03/2015 22:19

I hope none of those kids was chasing them with a stick.

Yanbu. This was totally unnecessary.

snowglobemouse · 30/03/2015 22:25

yanbu

ProfessorVonIgelfeld · 30/03/2015 22:31

Really unacceptable . I think an email to their customer service is in order!

Spadequeen · 30/03/2015 22:33

Yanbu, fucking idiots.

I would complain to their head office, RSPCA, PETA and anyone else who'll,listen

ConferencePear · 30/03/2015 22:44

YANBU. It really is time children were taught to treat animals as animals and not toys. For me, this is completely unacceptable and to be honest I'm a bit surprised at the farmer if they are going to be there for any length of time.

Original poster

ohdoublebother · 30/03/2015 22:52

They can't have been there for very long, they were gone when I walked past again half an hour later.It was before the shops opened.
If they had kept them in there the whole day I would definitely have complained there and then.

OP posts:

CalicoBlue · 30/03/2015 23:23

It was not really set up a window display, more a photo opp. It is all over their twitter feed and website. The lambs in the photos don't look in any distress. There are very strict rules about transporting and using animals in advertising ect. I am sure they were fine.

Probably a surprise to see them on the school run.

DishwasherDogs · 30/03/2015 23:27

The lambs all have their ears back and their tails down, which is definitely not the norm for carefree, happy lambs. They look pretty distressed to me.
Being transported at all is very stressful for animals and tends to be done only when necessary.
Carting lambs to a window display for whatever reason is cruel.

Pipbin · 31/03/2015 00:09

I hate myself for saying this and I am prepared to get flamed but how many of you saying that this is dreadful etc will happily eat lamb?

lostoldlogin · 31/03/2015 02:09

That is fucking gross. YANBU

NeedABumChange · 31/03/2015 02:14

It's no different to when they take them to photography studios to make cute calendars, but i have a feeling you're not stood in Smiths outraged at them. Or when they are taken to fairs for mini petting zoos? Or they take them on This Morning to meet Phil and Holly? etc..

IUseAnyName · 31/03/2015 07:43

I'm with needabumchange on this!

Discounted · 31/03/2015 07:52

Yes, probably not necessary and not the kindest way to treat a lamb, but in the life of your average lamb, not the worst thing that happens.

cedricsneer · 31/03/2015 07:54

Agree discounted. And they don't look distressed in those pictures at all.

londonrach · 31/03/2015 08:27

Dont see anything wrong with it. Lambs will go through worse later. Lambs are taking around some of the nursing homes i visit around this time. They very straight controls on how long the lamb is out and you should see the pleasure they give the patients.mind you the lamb is normally bottle feed orphan so used to people.

Pipbin · 31/03/2015 08:41

Not worse than killing it, chopping of its head, pulling out its guts, pulling off its skin, cooking it, then eating it.
Frankly, unless you are vegetarians you can fuck off with your outrage.

sparechange · 31/03/2015 09:32

How is that any different to lambs being put in a pen at a petting zoo for children to come and stroke them?
Or as you put it 'dragging the children to the farm'?
It is still lambs in a small pen being stroked by children. I don't think they are any more traumatised for being surrounded by GoreTex coats

VeganCow · 31/03/2015 09:59

Awful exploitation of animals. Why would anyone think to do this?

However, if you eat lamb, and think this is out of order, well...what goes on from the minute the lamb is taken from it's mother, during transportation, lead up to slaughterhouse, in the slaughterhouse, is bloody unimaginable, so think about that before getting outraged at this.

And anyone thinking of saying that what happens in the meat industry is for a reason (food), yes, I agree. Its not the eating of it per se, its the way these living things are treated in the run up to (an awful) death. And don't let's get started on halal...

Just seen Pipbin comment, and yes, let's add that as well.

UterusUterusGhali · 31/03/2015 10:09

I don't think it's any different to animals that travel around fetes/garden centres/schools etc. there are loads of companies that do it.

Not saying that makes it nice for the creatures...

Original poster

ohdoublebother · 31/03/2015 10:47

I must lead a very sheltered life, I had no idea there are companies that take animal to fetes, garden centres, schools and nursing homes(apart from dogs maybe) as entertainment.
And obviously it was not the worst thing that will ever happen to the lambs, that was quite clearly depicted in the supermarket 'Easter meal' advertising board next door.

OP posts:

LividofLondinium · 31/03/2015 10:58

Just because there are worse things that happen to animals does not mean it's OK to inflict a lesser stress on them, especially in the name of "entertainment"

Original poster

ohdoublebother · 31/03/2015 11:08

Yes that is what I'm thinking, can we do whatever we like with them just because we kill them in the end anyway? Doesn't sit right somehow.

OP posts:

SoupDreggon · 31/03/2015 11:17

They can't have been there for very long, they were gone when I walked past again half an hour later.It was before the shops opened.

So they were there for a brief photo shoot rather than actually being a live window display.

tomandizzymum · 31/03/2015 11:27

They probably come from one of the city farms. I doubt they've come far. I've seen lambs, goats and sheep at many farmers markets and country fairs around London. How is this different? Or should these also be banned? It's all the same for the lambs. If this is bad, then they all are.

Original poster

ohdoublebother · 31/03/2015 11:40

I don't think it is different. I don't see the point in taking farm animals to village fetes, farmers markets, schools, nursing homes or the moon either. Just seems a bit pointless.

OP posts:

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