Just like a haircut, shearing also doesn't hurt a sheep. It is the uppermost layer of the skin of sheep which is usually dead. But the shearing process requires skill so that the sheep is shorn efficiently and quickly without causing cuts or injury to the sheep or shearer.

Is shearing a sheep cruel?

So it is cruel to shear sheep (Shortcuts, G2, 26 November), according to Peta. On the contrary, for the majority of modern sheep it is cruel not to shear them. Domestic sheep do not naturally shed their winter coats. ... Shearing has to be done.

Does shearing kill sheep?

Some are so stressed by the experience that they die on the shearing floor. Others often die from heat exhaustion or a lack of shelter from the elements. Some die of starvation, disease, or neglect.