Proud to care for our sheep
and the wool you wear.

American wool growers place a high priority on sheep care. The American Wool Assurance (AWA) Standards provide confidence to the global marketplace that American wool is produced using high standards of care and handling. These voluntary standards reflect international standards (e.g. Five Freedoms of Animal Welfare) that account for American-style sheep production practices. Consumers can also be assured that sheep have never been mulesed in the United States.

The American Sheep Industry Association is proud to have been one of the first U.S. livestock groups to develop animal care guidelines decades ago, including having the foresight to create and release the first version of the Sheep Care Guide in 1996. Building on this legacy and that of other key sheep production guidelines such as the Sheep Safety and Quality Assurance (SSQA) program, Sheep Production Handbook, and the ASI Sheep Handling Videos, and with the assistance of Colorado State University, the American Wool Assurance (AWA) program focuses on year-round animal care related to sheep production with an emphasis on animal welfare connected to wool production. With 3 levels of certification, buyers can be assured that sheep in the AWA program are receiving a high standard of care.