Latitude festival has upset social media users and animal rights activists with their flock of neon pink sheep.
The Suffolk based event, held in Henham Park, began sharing photos of the brightly coloured animals ahead of their opening on July 18.
But while some people expressed their excitement for the festival, others dismissed dyeing the animals as ‘disgusting’ and ‘totally unnecessary’.
One person said: ‘Shame on you Latitude. Sheep dip is for veterinary purposes only, not a compulsory or routine measure and must be carried out by certified persons.
‘HSE advice “never dip sheep for cosmetic purposes”.’
Another added: ‘Having dyed sheep at a loud festival that will scare already nervous animals, this is unacceptable.’
A third then vented: ‘This is disgusting! Animals are not here for us to use how we please. They are not toys or objects! They are living beings!’
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Several others described the images and video footage as ‘animal abuse’.
Peta director Mimi Bekhechi said the sheep would have had their heads ‘held down with a crook’ while the dye was placed all over their bodies.
She continued: said: ‘The abuse didn’t stop there. These gentle prey animals are easily stressed and would have been terrified of the loud music and rowdy, drunk festival goers.
‘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.
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‘The Health and Safety Executive advises that sheep should never be dyed for cosmetic purposes.
‘Latitude needs to listen to the outrage on social media and stick to willing, human entertainers.’
A spokesperson for RSPCA confirmed that they would be writing to the organisers of Latitude festival about the pink sheep.
They said: ‘We want all animals treated with kindness and respect and would discourage people from painting or dying animals for novelty purposes.’
Latitude Festival have been known to release dyed sheep almost every year.
The painted sheep have become synonymous with the event and festival-goers can even buy merchandise emblazoned with the animals.
A spokesperson for Latitude said: ‘The sheep are dip dyed using natural, water based dye. They are used to dip dyeing as part of their normal farm life.’
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