The New York Times reports that Hotels.nl, a Dutch online reservations company, is now renting advertising space on grazing sheep. For $1.23 a day per sheep, the company “sponsors” 144 sheep throughout the Netherland countryside to wear an insulated coat bearing its logo and web address.

Sounds cheap (in more ways than one) but the ad campaign, which was spawned by a horse breeder and put into action by Easy Green Promotions, seems to be a costly one. The town of Skarsterlan claims the campaign violates its ban on advertising on the highway and is fining Hotels.nl $1000 each day the sheep wear the coats. The company has agreed to play the fees but plans to take its case to court.

While it is terribly annoying that farmers are cashing in on yet another way to exploit animals, I can’t say the idea is totally without merit. I now find myself day-dreaming of leaving my job at Lantern so that I might roam the European countryside with a flock of rescued sheep wearing coats that read Go Vegan or Wool is Baaaad.

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