Does Emu Oil “support your passion for wellness to change the world”?

Jan Whalen and Bluie the Emu in Everett, Washington

“As amazing as it may sound, many people wonder whether an emu must be killed to get emu oil.” – UPC Supporter

Emu oil is obtained by slaughtering an emu. There is no other way to get this oil which is touted by emu exploiters as a virtual cure-all for whatever ails you (except as a balm for the sin-sick soul which wearing this oil can only make sicker). Put a glow on your face by smearing slaughtered emu oil on your nose, lips, and cheeks. Soothe and smooth your body with it. Just make sure before purchasing those dainty bottles and tubes of this wondrous “wellness” ointment that it is “sustainably, ethically sourced.”

What does this mean? It means commercial assurance that the emus are/were “free-range” and "humanely" killed. Oh, and "treated with respect and affection." Most importantly, it means assurance that the emu was not slaughtered only for his or her oil, processed from the thick layer of fat beneath the bird’s skin, a reserve for hard times in the emu’s native Australia where this fleet-footed, flightless, and gentle nomad evolved 90 million years ago.

“Sustainably, ethically sourced,” means turning 95 percent of the dead bird into marketable products: “The emu's skin can be used to make leather for clothing and accessories; the meat, which is lean but high in omega-3 fatty acids, is a popular protein; there are potential uses for emu feathers; and the bird's giant black eggs are carved and painted to create unique pieces of art.”

On March 29, 2021, UPC posted the following letter to a wellness/mindfulness business at www.mindbodygreen.com that in 2019 featured an article boasting the health and beauty benefits of emu oil. We encourage you to contact [email protected] and politely urge refraining from promoting slaughtered animal parts as health and beauty aids. When you encounter promotions of emu oil or other slaughter products, please educate and advocate for the birds. If we want our own bodies to be respected, let’s practice respect (not “respect”) for theirs as well. Thank you.

United Poultry Concerns, Inc.
PO Box 150, Machipongo, VA 23405-0150
Phone: 757-678-7875 • FAX: 757-678-5070
www.upc-online.org • [email protected]

March 29, 2021

To Kayleigh Roberts and Mind Body Green

Via: [email protected]

I am writing to ask you to please not promote emu oil as a “health and beauty” benefit as per your article in Mind Body Green.

It is disturbing to click on this link and see a woman smearing a slaughterhouse product on her face. The suggestion, however well-meant, that emus may be brought into the world to be killed for their oil reserves, feathers and other body parts is incompatible with a spirit of true mindfulness and care for our fellow creatures, regardless of species. A truly mindful (informed) sensibility cannot possibly find comfort in making an animal die for “benefits” that are already available from plants. How can we value the life and feelings of an emu or any creature so little as to destroy them, short of self-defense?

Emus are gentle, family-oriented birds who evolved in Nature millions of years ago to roam over vast spaces of land. They are not meant for confined areas and being manhandled; and no matter what their exploiters say, slaughtering emus is a HORRIBLE, brutal process.

Mindfulness must surely respect the dignity of our fellow creatures, not their humiliation and degradation into “products.” We humans have enough commercial products already, way more than enough to benefit our personal well-being.

Please consider these concerns. I would be happy to hear from you if you care to respond.

Sincerely,

Karen Davis, PhD, President
United Poultry Concerns

Ostriches and Emus

United Poultry Concerns is a national nonprofit organization that promotes the compassionate and respectful treatment of domestic fowl.
Federal ID: 52-1705678.