Many people do not realize it, but animal testing is a huge part of the cosmetics and household products industry, and it is the reason I’ve decided to buy only cruelty-free products this year. I used to buy Pantene shampoo all the time — but now whenever I pick up a bottle, I think, how many rats died for this one bottle of shampoo? Not really even died, that’s too nice a word. How many rats were tortured and needlessly sacrificed their lives for this one bottle of shampoo? Considering the huge numbers of bottles of Pantene shampoo out there it’s probably only like .003 rats per bottle, but still, it makes me sad. It also makes me put the bottle back on the shelf pretty quickly. Ooh, and Bumble and Bumble, that is a really nice shampoo I don’t buy any more. I’ve basically switched over to Paul Mitchell shampoos completely — there are a lot of them. Here is an FAQ about animal testing (this is quoted verbatim from here):

The Animal Protection Institute’s Animal Testing FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions about how Animals are Used to Test Drugs, Vaccines, and Consumer Products

How many animals are used in research?

Conservative estimates place the number of animals used globally in research at well over 100 million. However, no one knows how many animals are used in the United States today because Animal Welfare Act, the legislation requiring the counting of animals in laboratories, excludes mice and rats, indisputably the most used animals in the industry. A staggering 100 million mice are estimated to be used in U.S. laboratories alone. It is further estimated that 10 to 20 percent of the animals used in laboratories are the subjects of safety testing of chemicals and consumer products. We can only speculate the exact number and extent of animals used in this industry.

What types of animals are usually used as test subjects?

Guinea pigs, mice, rats, rabbits, fish, and dogs are often the unfortunate test subjects. However, research animals can include other species such as pigs, nonhuman primates, sheep, cats, ferrets, and birds.

Where do laboratories get the animals for testing?

Animals used in testing come from a variety of sources. The most common source for laboratories is to purchase animals from specialized laboratory animal suppliers that “purpose breed” (including genetically modified, impregnated, and mutated) animals for use in animal testing. Publications such as Lab Animal magazine offer a “buyer’s guides,” catalogs of animals available for purchase through animal breeders or dealers. These animal dealers include companies such as Harlan, Charles Rivers Laboratories, Covance Research Products, and Worldwide Primates, Inc., to name a few. Any viewer can log on to these companies’ web sites and view order forms for animals including beagles, monkeys, rabbits, cats, and mice. (For further insights into a beagle breeding facility please see BUAV’s investigation.) Animals may also be taken from the wild for use in research, or may be obtained from county or state animal shelters, in a practice known as “pound seizure.” Some U.S. states have laws against such a practice.

What types of tests are currently using animals?

Animals continue to be subjected to a range of tests including, but not limited to, acute toxicity, chronic toxicity, repeat dose toxicity, mutagenicity, carsinogenicity, teratogenicity, reproductive toxicity, toxicokinetics, and endocrine disruptors.

What are the names of a few of the common product tests using animals?

Draize Test: Developed in 1944, this test aims to access the acute irritancy of a substance when applied directly to the eye. Tests substances can range from cosmetics ingredients to oven cleaners. The albino rabbit is the typical Draize test subject. Once the rabbit is immobilized by confinement in a head-holding device, the test substance is placed in one of the rabbit’s eyes, usually without anesthetic, while the other eye serves as a control. Irritation is observed for up to 21 days, and scores are assigned by technicians observing damage to the eye. Skin Irritancy and Corrosion Testing: These tests assess the toxicity of a chemical applied to the skin. Patches of an animal’s fur are shaved off and the animal endures application of the test substance to the exposed skin. The skin is observed for reactions such as reddening, swelling, inflammation, and ulceration. Lethal Dose Fifty Percent (LD50): In an LD50 test (an oral poisoning test or “toxicity test”), animals are forced to ingest lethal doses of test chemicals to determine at what dose half of the animals die. Death comes only after the animal experiences the grisly effects of the poisoning. Sometimes, it’s the volume of the substance the animals are forced to ingest that actually kills them. Other times, it’s the toxic effects of the chemical (including destruction of internal organs) that leads to death.

Are there sophisticated alternatives to animal testing? Yes.

Categories : against animal testing, cruelty free