Pet Insurance Australia (PIA) has expressed its support of The Body Shop Australia's campaign against cosmetic testing on animals, and is encouraging all Australians to join the fight against the 'outdated,' 'unwarranted,' and 'cruel' practice.
“It’s still quite shocking that in Australia there is currently no law to prevent businesses [from] testing their cosmetic products on animals,” said PIA's Nadia Crighton. “The Body Shop [has] been fighting this cause for so many years, hopefully come this July, the Australian federal government will have committed to a full ban on this practice.”
Animal protection and advocacy group Cruelty Free International estimated that about 500,000 animals are still being used for animal testing every year in various countries, and that approximately 1,400 animals are being sacrificed to test a single ingredient.
“There are also countries around the world that require animal testing before allowing the product to be imported and sold,” Crighton said. “Some Australian cruelty-free companies such as LUSH and Paul Mitchell have boycotted selling in countries like China until the regulation is lifted.”
The pet insurer said that using animals for cosmetic testing is not only “outdated, unwarranted, and cruel,” it is also “not 100% accurate,” which is why there needs to be an “educated change” on a global scale.
“The Body Shop Australia has just announced that they will also be a proud sponsor of the RSPCA’s incredibly popular Million Paws Walk,” Crighton said. “This is by far Australia’s biggest dog walk to fight against animal cruelty and it’s wonderful to see these two powerhouses joining forces to combat cruelty on all levels.”
The Body Shop Australia, alongside Cruelty Free International, seeks to secure eight million signatures calling for a worldwide ban on cosmetic animal testing in their Forever Against Animal Testing campaign.
The petition can be signed online at foreveragainstanimaltesting.com. The #ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting hashtag can also be used by social media users to raise awareness about the cause.
The RSPCA Million Paws walk will be held on May 20 right across Australia.
“This is one of the biggest days on the pet calendar and certainly a must for all pet loving people,” Crighton said. “A wonderful way to hit the pavement in support of abolishing animal cruelty, while also raising money to help support the RSPCA.”
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