Back in October I posted about the use of animal testing in cosmetics and how I found this practice barbaric and deplorable since humane alternatives exist and have been in use for years by many companies. I posted this as my entry for the Blog the Change for Animals hop, which is held four times a year and aims to highlight issues concerning animal welfare and rescue.
I was thrilled and pleasantly surprised this week to read about the introduction of the Humane Cosmetics Act, which proposes to prohibit animal testing for all cosmetics sold or manufactured in the United States. The act enjoys bipartisan support and was sponsored by U.S. Representatives Martha McSally (R-AZ), Don Beyer (D-VA), Joe Heck (R-NV) and Tony Cárdenas (D-CA). The act is also supported by cosmetics industry powerhouses like Paul Mitchell and The Body Shop, both of which already prohibit animal testing on their products.
There has been so much horrible news in recent weeks that it was a treat to read something that actually made me smile. I especially love that this act has bipartisan support, as the word "bipartisan" seems increasingly rare nowadays.
The Humane Society launched a Be Cruelty Free campaign to help end animal testing and provides a contact form on its website for Americans to contact their own representatives and ask them to support the new legislation.
Cruelty Free International, the largest organization working to ban animal testing in the world, states that the United States will join the European Union, Israel, and India among those who have banned this outdated practice if the legislation. New Zealand, Brazil, Vietnam and South Korea are also working on bans. As you'll see if you click on this link, Peter Dinklage is the US Ambassador to Cruelty Free International and an advocate to end animal testing on cosmetics and toiletries. If Tyrion Lannister is behind it, it has to be a good thing. :D
In all seriousness, I think anything that can reduce the amount of cruelty in the world is a wonderful thing. This legislation is a step in the right direction.
