Our own wool felt blend is mulesing-free

Ethical Merino Wool Felt: Soft and Cruelty-Free

At Pack & Smooch, our production is true craftsmanship. Every phone sleeve, laptop case, and accessory we make is carefully constructed with clean seams and precisely cut edges — all reflecting the highest standards of handmade quality. Just as much attention goes into the materials we use: durable cowhide leather and premium Merino wool felt. We focus on quality that lasts, always keeping animal welfare and environmental responsibility in mind.

Sustainable thinking also means staying alert — both for us and our suppliers, across the entire production chain. That’s why we source our mulesing-free Merino wool felt blend from a trusted German manufacturer. The reason? We reject the cruel practice known as mulesing — the removal of skin around a sheep’s tail, typically done without anesthesia. This method is commonly used in Australia to prevent flystrike, a condition where flies lay eggs in moist folds of skin. Shockingly, nearly 90% of all global Merino wool comes from Australia.

Flystrike: A Major Animal Welfare Issue in Hot Climates

“To increase wool yield, Merino sheep have been bred to have excessive skin folds — making them especially prone to flystrike,” writes the German Animal Welfare Federation. “Flies lay their eggs in the warm, damp folds of skin. The resulting maggots burrow into living tissue, causing severe infections and often death. High temperatures only accelerate the process.”

The animal rights organization PETA also condemns mulesing as cruel and painful — emphasizing that more humane alternatives exist. Meanwhile, Australia’s National Farmers Federation argues that mulesing is the most effective method for preventing myiasis (flystrike), which otherwise kills an estimated 3 million sheep each year.

At Pack & Smooch, we believe in clarity and compassion. Especially since this painful practice is banned in Germany. We fully support our supplier’s decision to go mulesing-free — a decision that wasn’t easy, given how wool from different countries used to be mixed during manufacturing, leaving no transparency.

Yes, We Still Use Fine Merino Wool Felt!

We continue to use the wonderfully soft Merino wool — just not from Australia. Merino is also farmed in New Zealand, South Africa, and Argentina. In New Zealand and South Africa, mulesing is banned. In Argentina, it's rarely practiced. Merino wool is breathable, weather-resistant, and ideal for functional apparel — and thanks to our custom-developed felt blend, it’s perfectly suited for our product line. Soft, durable, and 100% cruelty-free.