While many people think that wool comes from sheep who are “just getting a haircut,” the reality is much worse, and it’s anything but harmless.

In their natural state, sheep grow just enough wool to survive in the elements. They don’t need to be sheared. What’s more — the conditions where sheep are sheared in mass scale are pretty bleak. PETA has found that workers stomped on, kicked and even broke the necks of sheep while they were shearing them, ignoring the cries of frightened lambs who’ve been separated from their mothers.