"Big things have small beginnings."
A prescient quote from a great film (Lawrence of Arabia, in case you were wondering) that evokes so much of what #BeCrueltyFree Canada has been fighting for so hard over these past three years. And as the campaign to end cosmetic animal testing and trade nears a pivotal threshold, we are reaching out to Canadians to join us in a #DayofAction on September 13 to remind decision-makers in Ottawa exactly what's at stake for countless animals.
#BeCrueltyFree Canada, run by Humane Society International/Canada and Animal Alliance of Canada, is part of the largest campaign in the world to end animal testing for cosmetics. Sadly, cosmetic animal testing remains legal in approximately 80 per cent of countries worldwide, Canada included. Shocking, isn't it?
Rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, hamsters and rats are made to suffer in archaic chemical poisoning tests all in the name of beauty. Common tests include chemicals dripped into their eyes; skin irritation tests, and oral toxicity tests where mega-doses are force-fed into an animal's stomach to observe signs of poisoning.
To add insult to injury, all of these tests are wholly unnecessary thanks to long-established ingredients with histories of safe use and an ever-growing array of modern, validated non-animal alternative test methods. Add to that the fact that animal testing for cosmetics is unreliable with well-known scientific weaknesses, and the decision of whether or not to ban the practice seems like a no-brainer.
But we're not there yet. Currently The Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act (S-214) is in the Senate for final examination in the fall before moving on to the House of Commons, where it will go through a similar process. This is a critical stage in the campaign, and your support is more important than ever. And so we're calling on all Canadians to join us this Tuesday, September 13, for a #DayofAction to end cruel cosmetics animal testing and help make Canada the next country to #BeCrueltyFree!
There are many ways to support and help get the word out:
- Join the more than 100,000 Canadians who have signed our petition at becrueltyfree.ca calling for Members of Parliament to get behind the Cruelty-Free Cosmetics Act;
- Follow us on Twitter (@HSI_Canada), as well as our end animal testing Facebook page;
- Share our posts on September 13 -- look for the hashtags #BeCrueltyFree and #DayofAction;
- Read and share our blog posts, which will be posted on social media;
- Follow our celebrity supporters on Twitter who are also supporting the campaign : Bif Naked: @BifNaked / Lauren Toyota: @LaurenToyota / Phoebe Dykstra: @PhoebeDykstra).
- Check out our corporate partners leading the way in cruelty-free beauty products!
This campaign started small, but thanks to people who care, it's grown into a movement that cannot be ignored. A whopping 81 per cent of Canadians support a national ban on animal testing of cosmetics and their ingredients, while new testing methods such as 3D skin models are ensuring that these animals will never have to suffer again in the name of shampoo or lipstick. It's a big issue whose time has come -- on September 13, let's speak with one voice; let's speak for those who cannot speak, and show the world that Canada can #BeCrueltyFree.
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