Latitude Festival has been slammed by critics after sharing a bazaar-baric video of a herd of sheep that had been spray-painted bright pink. Organisers of the popular Suffolk event posted the short clip to their official Twitter account, showing about a dozen sheep wandering through the campsite.
It was shared with the caption: "The sheep have arrived."But we can bet it didn't go down well, with hundreds piling into the comments to condemn the controversial stunt. One shocked follower said: "Seriously? Animals are not playthings...why the hell have they been dyed all over and what the hell are they doing at a festival? Have some respect for living things!!!"A second person put: "Is there a reason you have to do this to an innocent animal for kicks?!?! Does it really increase people's enjoyment of your festival?! Awful.""The disconnection and lack of empathy for these sentient beings are astounding, it's not enough that they are at a festival anyway, you dye them pink!! You ought to be ashamed #AnimalCruelty," wrote a third. While another added: "Feels a bit icky to me. Circuses can't force animals to perform for our amusement anymore, so why should you be different? Is it remotely a good environment for them; surrounded by thousands of s***faced revellers and loud music everywhere?"One person even called for an end to the festival, writing: "Absolutely disgusting and cruel... Animals are not there for our entertainment ...CANCEL THIS AND YOUR FESTIVAL."After being tagged in the thread, a spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "This is very sad to see. We're a charity with no more powers than any member of the public, and unfortunately, this is not illegal. We want all animals treated with kindness and respect and would discourage people from painting animals for novelty purposes."Reacting to the outrage, a spokesperson for Latitude Festival defended their actions, writing: "Hey, they're dip dyed using water-based dye which they are used to as part of their normal farming life for insecticides and parasites like itch-mite, blowflies, ticks and lice."However, not everyone was convinced, with one critic writing: "I beg to differ. From a farming background, we don't dye out sheep pink. You are missing the point totally. Have a think."PETA UK has since posted its own statement about the video. The charity shared the clip, with the caption: "In 2019, only ignorant or cruel people still use animals as living toys, props, and photo ops. We've learned enough about animals to know to respect and admire them for their ability to live in a world we're fast destroying."
It was shared with the caption: "The sheep have arrived."But we can bet it didn't go down well, with hundreds piling into the comments to condemn the controversial stunt. One shocked follower said: "Seriously? Animals are not playthings...why the hell have they been dyed all over and what the hell are they doing at a festival? Have some respect for living things!!!"A second person put: "Is there a reason you have to do this to an innocent animal for kicks?!?! Does it really increase people's enjoyment of your festival?! Awful.""The disconnection and lack of empathy for these sentient beings are astounding, it's not enough that they are at a festival anyway, you dye them pink!! You ought to be ashamed #AnimalCruelty," wrote a third. While another added: "Feels a bit icky to me. Circuses can't force animals to perform for our amusement anymore, so why should you be different? Is it remotely a good environment for them; surrounded by thousands of s***faced revellers and loud music everywhere?"One person even called for an end to the festival, writing: "Absolutely disgusting and cruel... Animals are not there for our entertainment ...CANCEL THIS AND YOUR FESTIVAL."After being tagged in the thread, a spokesperson for the RSPCA said: "This is very sad to see. We're a charity with no more powers than any member of the public, and unfortunately, this is not illegal. We want all animals treated with kindness and respect and would discourage people from painting animals for novelty purposes."Reacting to the outrage, a spokesperson for Latitude Festival defended their actions, writing: "Hey, they're dip dyed using water-based dye which they are used to as part of their normal farming life for insecticides and parasites like itch-mite, blowflies, ticks and lice."However, not everyone was convinced, with one critic writing: "I beg to differ. From a farming background, we don't dye out sheep pink. You are missing the point totally. Have a think."PETA UK has since posted its own statement about the video. The charity shared the clip, with the caption: "In 2019, only ignorant or cruel people still use animals as living toys, props, and photo ops. We've learned enough about animals to know to respect and admire them for their ability to live in a world we're fast destroying."