Love Lambs Campaign

Read about our important year-round work, tackling one of the UK’s cruellest farming practices: routine tail docking and castration of lambs.

And every September our Love Lambs Week campaign celebrates compassion, and a future where no lamb is seen as a meal. At a time when the meat industry runs ‘Love Lamb Week’ to encourage people to eat more lamb meat, our campaign shifts the focus from product to personality, from meat to life.

Read more below.

2026 Love Lambs Week Booklet

Interesting reads and facts about our woolly friends, plus delicious recipes.

Sign up to win

You could win a copy of Mary McCartney's cookbook by signing up for the Love Lambs Week booklet.

Love Lambs Week 2026 Sign Up

End Routine Lamb Mutilations

Sign the petition to end the routine tail docking and castration of lambs

Sign the Petition

Vegetarian Society Response to the Defra Consultation on Mutilations in Lambs

A vision for using land more effectively

Land Use Framework

Mary McCartney, photographer, filmmaker and sustainable food campaigner

I grew up in a family where compassion for animals was simply part of everyday life, and it's a value I've carried with me ever since. That's why I'm proud to support the Vegetarian Society's call for us all to Love Lambs and end the routine tail docking and castration of these precious animals – painful procedures that should no longer be accepted as standard practice. It's time for the UK to show true leadership in animal welfare by bringing the routine tail docking and castration of lambs to an end. At the same time, we should support a transition away from farming systems that rely on painful mutilations as standard, encourage greater diversification across agriculture, and invest in our arable and horticultural sectors. Doing so would strengthen UK food security, support healthier, plant-rich diets, and help build a more compassionate and sustainable food system for the future. Image credit: Grace Guppy

Adrian Ramsay MP, Green Party MP for Waveney Valley

The UK is a nation of animal lovers. We have a proud reputation for high animal welfare standards, but we cannot afford to stand still when the evidence tells us animals can be spared unnecessary suffering. The Animal Welfare Committee has made clear that routine tail docking and castration in lambs should no longer be the default approach. Ministers now have a real opportunity to deliver meaningful reform. By implementing these recommendations, the Government can improve welfare for lambs while supporting a more sustainable future for the sheep sector. I urge the Government to seize this opportunity, end these largely unnecessary routine procedures, and spare countless lambs from avoidable suffering.

Matt Pritchard – Chef & Author

Lambs are full of life, character, and personality. The Vegetarian Society's 'Love Lambs' reminds us that we have the power to create a kinder world simply by changing what’s on our plates. I’m incredibly proud to back this campaign, protect these gentle animals from cruel farming, and champion a peaceful, plant-based future.

Irene Campbell, Labour MP for North Ayrshire and Arran

Routine tail docking and castration cause pain, distress and lasting welfare impacts for lambs, yet the latest scientific evidence shows these procedures should no longer be considered standard practice. The Animal Welfare Committee has set out a clear roadmap for reform, and the Government now has an opportunity to bring legislation into line with modern understanding of animal welfare and sentience. We are urging the Government to act on the expert recommendations, end routine tail docking and castration for lambs, and partner this with strong oversight and enforcement to minimise avoidable animal suffering.