In another historic victory for animals in labs, New Zealand has just become the latest country to ban their use in cosmetics testing.
Following heavy campaigning by animal advocates and the Green Party to end the practice, this week the government voted to amend the Animal Welfare Act to make it illegal for companies to test finished products or their ingredients on animals in the country.
Even though it was a slightly different bill than the one pushed by the Green Party’s animal welfare spokesperson Mojo Mathers, she said she’s still “over the moon” that the government has acknowledged her work and agreed to a ban.
While no known testing is currently taking place in New Zealand, the new measure will ensure it never does. Now animal advocates are celebrating a win they believe will protect animals and bring the country in line with what consumers want. The New Zealand-based animal advocacy organization SAFE, which has also been working on the issue, highlighted a poll that found 89 percent of adult New Zealanders do not support using animals to test cosmetics, especially in light of the fact that there are already so many safe products and ingredients available to choose from and work with.
“We are thrilled that New Zealand’s politicians have taken this important step to vote out cosmetics cruelty. This is a moment to be celebrated for animal welfare and compassionate consumers, and yet another achievement for the #BeCrueltyFree campaign,” said Claire Mansfield, Humane Society International’s Global #BeCrueltyFree Campaigns Director.
Unfortunately the ban doesn’t affect imported cosmetics that have been tested on animals, which make up a majority of products currently on store shelves, but animal advocates say they will focus their attention on those next in an effort to grow the global community of nations that have taken a stand against this.
Already a number of countries have taken progressive steps to stop the unnecessary suffering of animals used in tests for personal care and household products, including India, Israel, Brazil’s São Paulo, the European Union and China, which recently removed a huge barrier when it officially announced it would end its mandatory requirement for animal testing.
Now efforts are also now underway in Australia, Canada, Brazil, Korea and Taiwan.
While the U.S. is still lagging behind on the issue, last year legislation was introduced that would make it illegal to conduct or commission animal testing for cosmetics after a one year phase in, which would be followed by a ban on the interstate sale of products and ingredients that were made using animal testing after three years.
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Please sign and share the petition urging your representative to make the U.S. one of the next countries to protect animals in labs by passing the Humane Cosmetics Act. Not only will this save animals, but it will help keep companies competitive in a global market where more and more countries are closing their doors to cruelty.
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