Animal Testing....

[gpigluver14]

Inside HLS

You should really read this...It's about Huntingdon Life Sciences, the second largest lab testing company- it's an account by someone who worked there.

Does anyone have any other opinions about lab testing?? Please share...I try to look for the "not tested on animals" label on most of the stuff I buy. But without it we wouldn't have all the medicines we have today, so I honestly don't know how I feel about it. I definitely don't support it though- I think it's animal cruelty.

Also...Don't use Splenda! The artificial sweetener Sucralose was tested on animals; Splenda is the "brand name" for Sucralose:

Useless experiments

[JarBax]

There are a few other topics on this in the vegetarian section of the forum - but this is the one that sprang to mind:

http://www.guineapigcages.com/forum/...ht=vivisection

Like you, I check the labels of eerything I buy, checking that they've not been tested on animals. Are you acquainted with this list:

PETA's Companies that DON'T Test on Animals List | Ethicast.com

[Terekins]

I can't even read that, it will just upset me. I try to get products that aren't tested on animals too, and for the most part it isn't too difficult (getting into dish detergent and things like that I find a bit trickier). It bothers me to know that any animal has to go through torture, but after having guinea pigs for just a few months, I find it so hard to imagine that such intelligent and sensitive creatures could be treated that way.

Here we have the Body Shop which has very nice products, but even in regular pharmacies you can easily find cosmetics that are cruelty free. I buy either Revlon or Almay for makeup, and there are lots of creams and body washes (I really like Burt's Bees but it's quite expensive) if you look around. I talk to some people who say "everything is tested on animals" as if there's no point in even trying to find a product that isn't, but that's not true. And some people say "well the ingredients in there have been tested on animals by someone else"...so what! I'm sure at this point it's nearly impossible to avoid products that at some point were tested on animals, the damage has been done, but many companies don't test anymore. That's my two cents!

What kinds of products do you buy?

[gpigluver14]

Thanks for the replies!

Are you acquainted with this list:

PETA's Companies that DON'T Test on Animals List | Ethicast.com

No I didn't know about that list, thank you! I am going to print it out once I get the chance. I'm glad to say I use a lot of the products on there. It's good that there's a lot of them...But there are some major ones that aren't on there...ie: Johnson and Johnson, Secret, Dove...: (

[JarBax]

Lush!

LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics -- LUSH Around The World

[FoolOnTheHill]

Ooo, Lush! I love the smell of their shops, and all their products look great. It's quite expensive though, which I guess will put a lot of people off as it's cheaper to get normal stuff.

I thought The Body Shop was bought by Loreal, so it's not really non-tested now?

I'm about half way through that link and am disgusted.

[Terekins]

Originally Posted by FoolOnTheHill

Ooo, Lush! I love the smell of their shops, and all their products look great. It's quite expensive though, which I guess will put a lot of people off as it's cheaper to get normal stuff.

I thought The Body Shop was bought by Loreal, so it's not really non-tested now?

I'm about half way through that link and am disgusted.

The Body Shop still stands by its stance that it is cruelty free.
I like Lush too, but can't afford it on a regular basis. As with Burts Bees, I usually will ask for these products as xmas gifts. A nice supply will last me most of the year As for less expensive stuff, here in Canada Lawtons' Life brand has a lot of cruelty free products, and the Superstore does too. Glysomed cremes are all cruelty free and inexpensive.

[xDanix]

I love Lush! And I don´t think that they´re so expensive, beacuse the products last for a long time.
I use Jumping Juniper, a shampoo bar, and it lasts almost 3 months for me. So, it ends up not being expensive.
And what I like about them, it´s that they just don´t simply test, they are totally against animal testing, make campaigns in their website against it, etc.
My cosmetics are all cruelty-free. I always check out the list of PEA, an organization for animal rights that have a list like PETA, but adapted for Brazilian companies and/or foreign companies that sell products here.
But I also have difficulties on buying products for cleaning my house, clothes, etc.

Ahd, yeah, a lot of things that help us today were discovered by testing on animals. But we shouldn´t live in the past. If we have this knowledge today, why should we continue testing? And in the past, they didn´t have all these alternative ways, like tests on computer, on synthetic materials, etc. That´s why I think it´s not correct to test in animals today, we have these alternatives. Sometimes I think scientists are just lazy about trying new stuff, so they prefer to continue testing on animals because that´s how they learned to do.

[TheSnufflenoses]

I personally am extremely against animal testing for products, without question. However, like gpigluvr14, I don't know where to stand when it comes to medicine. Wikipedia says currently only 2% of lab animals are guinea pigs. It says they are used in research primarily as models for human medical conditions such as juvenile diabetes, tuberculosis, scurvy, and pregnancy complications.

It really boils down to what you believe in most: that animals have as much right as humans and since they can't give consent shouldn't be tested on for any reason... or sacrifices for the greater good of mankind. If it means that testing on a few guinea pigs will develop cures to save the lives of millions of adults and children and/or keep them healthy, is it worth it?

On one hand I believe in the "greater good" model, however that's easy to say when it doesn't affect you. If someone came to me and said we need to do animal testing on YOUR piggies, because we THINK we might get closer to a cure for such and such disease, I couldn't do it. Even if they said doing so would 100% positively cure such and such, it would still kill me. Honestly I can't make up my mind, but I do know that I wish animal testing wouldn't have to happen at all.

[gpigluver14]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

I was so happy when I saw Bath and Body Works on the list of 'don't test'. What a relief, since I love shopping there. It must be why it's rather expensive too. I'm just waiting for the day when there is an afordable company that sells safe products, maybe a whole store even that sells only natural/organic foods, make-up, lotion, and household cleaners that aren't tested on animals. It should have natural pet foods too. Is there a store like this?? I know there are websites out there you can order from that are similar...

And does anyone know if Avon tests on animals??

[Maisiepaisie]

Originally Posted by FoolOnTheHill

I thought The Body Shop was bought by Loreal, so it's not really non-tested now?

The Bodyshop is now owned by Loreal who are an animal testing company, however Bodyshop products remain non animal tested. Personally I prefer not to give my cash to unethical companies Boycott the body shop!

Regarding Avon, their products are not animal tested but most likely contain animal derived ingredients. They don't even bother to state in the book that they don't test on animals so that suggests to me that they don't feel its very important and for me, that puts me off buying their products.

[JarBax]

This link might be of interest regarding Avon...

Naturewatch Compassionate Shopping - Avon fact file

[Fay]

I'm against Animals testing but I often get the argument that without Animals a bunch of medications would not exist. What I wonder is, If those medications were yet to be created in modern days. Could they have been created without the use of Animals?

[Maisiepaisie]

Originally Posted by Fay

I'm against Animals testing but I often get the argument that without Animals a bunch of medications would not exist. What I wonder is, If those medications were yet to be created in modern days. Could they have been created without the use of Animals?

Of course, yes. Without animal testing we would most likely have a lot more useful medicines as time would not have been wasted on useless methods. I found Europeans for Medical Progress to be the most helpful website for explaining why animal testing doesn't work and the alternatives. Europeans For Medical Progress are not an animal rights group. They oppose animal experimentation purely because it doesn't work.

[gpigluver14]

Then, question...Why are all-natural products and most things that aren't tested on animals more expensive? It's probably a dumb question, but...If they didn't have to take the time to test them wouldn't it be cheaper? Or is there some other major reason why??

I think anything's worth it if it's cruelty free though.

[JarBax]

I suppose that most cruelty free products are made by smaller companies, with quality, often fairly traded, or local, or ethical and natural ingredients. More like a cottage industry than a production line. Huge companies will make stuff on such a vast commercial scale that prices can be kept low. Smaller companies perhaps tend to make more by hand - than mass production line - thus paying more in labour.