My Life in a Laboratory

Posted November 10, 2015 by Kim Johnson

Hi. My name is Rabbit 32*. I’m one of more than 170,000 rabbits who will be killed in U.S. laboratories this year for cruel experiments and product testing. Here in the laboratory, animals like me don’t get names, just numbers. That’s because the humans who experiment on us think of us as tools—not individuals with feelings. Experimenters like to use rabbits in their painful tests because we’re small, gentle, and easy to handle.

Outside the laboratory, many rabbits like me get to hang out with other animals and humans, but instead of hurting them, these humans pet their fur softly and give them treats and scratches on their ears. It makes me sad to think that I’ll never get to live in a warm house or snuggle with other rabbit friends or humans—or even know any kindness or affection at all from a human.

I’ve spent my whole life alone inside a cramped, empty metal cage, often for weeks or months at a time.

Testing

Experimenters poison me in order to see what happens when a high dose of a chemical is given to an animal. Many rabbits in the cages around me have died because of these excruciatingly painful tests. I’m scared and in pain, and I wish this would stop.

During another test, they put me in a restraining device so that I can’t move, then they force chemicals into my eyes, which burns them and hurts so much. They also scrape my skin and spread harsh chemicals onto it. The experimenters watch to see how long it takes for the chemicals to burn my eyes or my skin and to see the damage that they’ve caused. 

They leave the chemicals on me for up to two weeks and don’t give me any painkillers. I wish they would make it stop hurting, but instead, they just take notes as the substances burn me and I scream in pain.

During and after the tests, my skin sometimes bleeds and swells. Other times, my insides hurt, my eyes swell up, or scabs form on my back. My eyes are cloudy now, and they always hurt. Some of my friends have already gone blind because of the tests, and I’m afraid that I will, too.

After they finish torturing me, I’ll probably be killed without ever getting to have a single moment of happiness. I’ve seen experimenters cut up the bodies of other rabbits that they’ve killed, and I’m so scared. I don’t want to suffer anymore, and I don’t want to die. The products they test on me include things like soap, shampoo, household cleaners, and makeup—all of which can be safely made WITHOUT testing chemicals on me. 

The Law

There’s no law in the U.S. that says that these products need to be tested on animals like me. In fact, in some countries it’s ILLEGAL to test products on us. But lots of companies, like Johnson & Johnson, ChapStick, Revlon, and Secret, still perform or pay for horrible tests on animals. Chemical companies test on animals like me, too, even though there are many reliable, superior, non-animal test methods available.

Why Do These Tests?

There’s no reason to test a chemical on an animal. There are plenty of other tests out there that don’t hurt animals and are more reliable than animal tests. One test uses a model of human skin grown in test tubes, which is made from real human skin cells, so the results can better predict how a chemical will affect a human. Animal-test results usually can’t be applied to humans because we react to substances differently.

What You Can Do

Rabbits aren’t the only animals who are tested on in laboratories. Mice, rats, guinea pigs, and other animals are poisoned and killed in cruel product tests, and monkeys, cats, and dogs are also used and killed in other painful experiments in the U.S. every year. You can help end this suffering by buying cruelty-free products and avoiding any products that have been tested on animals like me. Will you help me and the millions of other animals who suffer every day in cruel and deadly tests?

Not sure how to tell if a product is cruelty-free? Look for the PETA bunny logo on the package, check PETA’s cruelty-free database, or e-mail peta2@peta2.com. You can also order a cruelty-free shopping guide.

*This is not the story of one specific rabbit in a laboratory. The facts in this feature are based on the experiences of many different rabbits used in laboratory tests.

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/animal-testing-rabbits/#ixzz3rmU1mVfn

Reasons Why Hunting Should Be Gone

Posted January 29, 2015 by Kim Johnson

Studies show that today, most hunters stalk and kill animals for the thrill of it, not out of necessity. Here are eight reasons why you should never support hunting:

1. Hunting causes pain and suffering.

This violent form of “entertainment” rips families apart and leaves countless animals orphaned or badly injured when hunters miss their targets. Quick kills are rare, and many animals endure prolonged, painful deaths when they’re hurt but not killed by hunters.

A study of 80 radio-collared white-tailed deer found that of the 22 deer who had been shot with “traditional archery equipment,” 11 were wounded but not recovered by hunters. A study also showed that 20 percent of foxes who are wounded by hunters are shot again, and a South Dakota Department of Game, Fish and Parks biologist estimates that more than 3 million wounded ducks go unretrieved every year.

A British study of deer hunting found that 11 percent of deer killed by hunters die only after being shot two or more times and that some wounded deer suffer for more than 15 minutes before dying.

For animals such as wolves and geese, who mate for life and live in close family units, hunting can devastate entire communities. Could you imagine losing a family member?

2. It isn’t about conservation or population control.

In school, you might have learned about Charles Darwin’s theory of natural selection, which explains that the sickest and weakest animals are the most likely to be killed by natural predators, leaving the strongest animals to survive and pass their genes on. Hunters, however, disrupt this natural balance because they prefer to kill the largest, strongest animals.

Even if overpopulation happened naturally to a group of animals, nature would work to regulate the population. Starvation and disease are tragic, but they are nature’s way of ensuring that the healthy, strong animals survive and maintain the strength of their herd.

Because hunting isn’t an effective method of controlling deer populations, some wildlife agencies use other methods to keep deer out of unwanted areas and reduce breeding. Repellents, deterrents, and strategically placed fencing can encourage deer to stay away from artificial and easy food sources, and when food sources are scarce, deer refrain from breeding and have fewer babies.

3. There are few regulations.

Most hunting occurs on private land, where laws that protect wildlife often don’t apply or are difficult to enforce. On private properties that are set up as for-profit hunting reserves or game ranches, hunters can pay to kill native and exotic species in “canned hunts.” These animals are hunted and killed for the sole purpose of providing hunters with a “trophy.”

4. It’s profit-driven.

Canned hunts are big business, but forty percent of hunters also kill and injure millions of animals on public land every year. Most federal and state agencies that manage wildlife refuges, national forests, state parks, and other public lands are partially funded by hunting and fishing activities, so agency employees often go out of their way to encourage hunting rather than regulating or policing it.

5. It claims other, nontarget victims.

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Hunters are not only injured by other hunters, but risk being attacked by animals, too. You might remember the story ofCamille Bomboy, an 18-year-old who was hunting deer and attacked by a bear.

Hunting accidents often injure or kill horses, cows, dogs, cats, hikers, and other hunters. According to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, thousands of human injuries are attributed to hunting every year in the U.S. Hunters are at risk of being injured not only by other hunters but also by animals, who may see them as a threat and attack.

Dogs who are used for hunting also suffer. They’re often kept chained or penned and denied routine veterinary care such as vaccines and heartworm medication. Some are lost during hunts and never found, and others who are turned loose at the end of hunting season to fend for themselves often die of starvation or get struck by vehicles.

6. Violence against animals can lead to violence against humans.

Kip Kinkel killed his parents and opened fire in his school cafeteria, killing two and injuring 22 others. He had a history of animal abuse and torture, having boasted about killing animals.

Like other forms of casual or “thrill” violence, hunting leads to a dangerous desensitization to the suffering of others. Research in psychology and criminology shows that people who commit violent acts against animals rarely stop there, as many move on to target their fellow humans. A study conducted by Northeastern University and the Massachusetts SPCA found that people who abuse animals are five times more likely to commit violent crimes against humans. The majority of inmates who are scheduled to be executed for murder at California’s San Quentin State Prison “practiced” their crimes on animals, according to the warden.

7. It’s unnecessary.

October 2006 bear hunting | CowgirJules | CC by-NC-SA 2.0

Hunters have a choice. With all the delicious pastas, fruits, vegetables and grains that are cheaply available everywhere, there is no reason to kill animals to survive.

What You Can Do

No Hunting or Shooting | Seth Anderson | CC by-nc-sa 2.0

To combat hunting in your area, post “no hunting” signs on your land, join or form an anti-hunting organization, protest organized hunts, and spread deer repellent or human hair (from barber shops) near hunting areas.

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/hunting-facts/#ixzz3iYDulv9M

6 Newly Confirmed Cruelty-Free Companies

Posted June 3, 2015 by Hannah Healy

The European Union has banned the sale of any cosmetics that have been tested on animals or whose ingredients have been tested on animals, and NO federal law requires that cosmetics companies test on animals in America. In spite of this, many U.S. companies CHOOSE to continue tests on animals! There are dozens of tests in use today that are faster and more accurate at predicting human reactions to a product than the old animal tests EVER were. The continued needless torture of rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, and other animals is nothing short of appalling.

Here’s the good news: More and more companies are seeing the light! Kendo Brands has joined PETA’s Beauty Without Bunnies program! As part of its membership in our program and inclusion on our cruelty-free list, Kendo Brands has signed a statement that it will NEVER conduct, commission, or pay for tests on animals for its ingredients, formulations, or products anywhere in the world. This ALSO means that Kendo is putting animals ahead of profits by refusing to sell any products in China until the country lifts its requirement that cosmetics be tested on animals. Meet the six beauty companies it owns whose products are now SAFE for animal lovers to buy:

1. Kat Von D Beauty

Kat Von D Beauty

2. Bite Beauty

Bite Beauty

3. Ole Henriksen

Ole Henriksen

4. Elizabeth and James Nirvana

Elizabeth and James Nirvana

5. Formula X

Formula X

6. Marc Jacobs Beauty

Marc Jacobs Beauty

Cruelty-free items can be found anywhere!

Read more: http://www.peta2.com/blog/kat-von-d-beauty-cruelty-free/#ixzz3fMLxojYb