Animal Testing: What is it and Why Should I Care?

I'm sure a lot of people have heard the terms "animal testing," "tested on animals," etc. but a lot of people probably don't know what those terms really mean. According to Cruelty Free International, animal testing "is any scientific experiment or test in which a live animal is forced to undergo something that is likely to cause them pain, suffering, distress or lasting harm." The most common type of animal testing that consumers are involved in is regulatory testing. So what is regulatory testing? "Regulatory testing is standardised testing designed to see if medicines, chemicals (including paints, dyes, inks, petrol products, solvents, tars and waste materials), cosmetics and other products are safe for use, and that they do their job effectively" (Cruelty Free International). In Regulatory experiments, the animals being tested are forced to inhale or eat certain substances, or have these substances rubbed onto their skin or injected into their bodies. Doesn't sound like much fun, does it?

A lot of people probably think that animal tests are only done on mice, rabbits, or guinea pigs. However, this is not the case. According to PETA, "Each year, more than 100 million animals—including mice, rats, frogs, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, guinea pigs, monkeys, fish, and birds—are killed in U.S. laboratories for biology lessons, medical training, curiosity-driven experimentation, and chemical, drug, food, and cosmetics testing."

Beagles are the most popular breed for animal-testing, because of their friendly, docile, trusting, forgiving, people-pleasing personalities. They are routinely blinded in the testing of shampoo and soap. Think about that in the shower.- quoteslike.com

Think about the products you're using. If they have to be tested on animals, how good are they for you? Some of the benefits of switching to cruelty-free and more organic products are that a lot of them have fewer ingredients and better, more natural ingredients. And that's one reason why animal testing isn't really necessary. There are tons of ingredients out there that we already know and have proven are safe for humans!

In doing research for this blog, I have come across different articles that talk about animal testing and how it is wasteful and unreliable. For example, "Diseases that are artificially induced in animals in a laboratory, whether they be mice or monkeys, are never identical to those that occur naturally in human beings" (PETA).  These animals that we use in testing do not have the same biology as us. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the results that come from testing on animals are going to be the same in humans.

Using products that are cruelty-free and non animal tested is where the lifestyle aspect of veganism comes into play. Because veganism isn't a diet, it's a lifestyle. A lifestyle, "which seeks to exclude, as far as is possible and practicable, all forms of exploitation of, and cruelty to, animals for food, clothing or any other purpose" (www.vegansociety.com).

Shopping cruelty-free can be easy! There are logos and websites out there to help you determine which products are cruelty-free, and which are not. You can even find cruelty-free products at Wal-Mart and Target, although bigger stores like Whole Foods carry more cruelty-free products. Check out the websites below to help you shop cruelty-free!  And while you're at it, check out our Products & Shopping page to see some of the cruelty-free products we have purchased and are using.

Ethical Elephant      Cruelty-Free Kitty   

Spare these furry, innocent lives and live cruelty-free!
                       
                           -- Joy 

*Resources used for this blog have been linked to the websites from which they came.* 

Copyright 2016 by Dee Dee Wike and Joy Wike. All rights reserved. www.feelingveggiegood.com