OK - I've been trying to avoid this one because I know for a fact it will stir up many emotions in many people.
Medicine, charities and research.
The pharmaceutical industry, Cancer Research UK, Age UK (merger of Age Concern, Research into Aging and Help the Aged), Animal Health Trust, British Heart Foundation, to name a few, ALL conduct or fund testing on animals.
Look out for my 2 posts -
Part 1: The Evidence
Part 2: The Verdict
Part 1 will be references to all the material I've researched for and against animal testing in the pharmaceutical industry and in the name of medicine. I'll objectively summarise these to the best of my ability, but the references are there should you wish to read them.
Part 2 will be my own conclusion and why I've reached that verdict. I would ask you to respect my decision and I'd welcome your own views (reasoned opinions please, name-calling will do nothing to support your views).
This will take a while .........
Friday, 25 January 2013
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Laverstoke Update ...
Their second response:
(I had asked if I were to bring my own animals for slaughter, how much of the process would I be able to see?).
"Hi Phyl
I'm definitely going to pursue this as part of my research on the feasibility of keeping a couple of pigs (thank you +Robert Blakemore) and will try to talk Ian into accompanying me to watch an animal being slaughtered.
Watch this space .......
(I had asked if I were to bring my own animals for slaughter, how much of the process would I be able to see?).
"Hi Phyl
We have trained animal welfare officers in the lairage and we have a full internal technical team that audit them. We also have the MHS Vet on site daily to do anti mortem inspection.
You are welcome to watch the process. We have a viewing gallery that you can watch from which is above the lairage and abattoir so you can see the whole process."
I'm definitely going to pursue this as part of my research on the feasibility of keeping a couple of pigs (thank you +Robert Blakemore) and will try to talk Ian into accompanying me to watch an animal being slaughtered.
Watch this space .......
China
It would appear that major companies who had or wished to stop testing on animals have been forced to restart or continue animal-testing in order to sell their products in China in compliance with the Chinese government's legislation on beauty and household products.
As a result, some companies have been stripped of their "leaping bunny" logo (which signifies cruelty-free products).
The good news is, Chinese scientists are being helped to switch to in vitro cosmetics testing methods (i.e. non-animal) and the Chinese government is being persuaded to accept the results of these tests in place of the animal tests it currently requires.
Further reading:
http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/tags/animal+testing/default.aspx
Although I feel PETA are a bit guilty of showing only the bad things when it comes to animals in the food industy and fail to point people in the direction of good animal welfare practice (and constantly try to get you to commit to a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle), when it comes to their work to stop animal testing on cosmetics, toiletries and household products, they have done a fabulous job.
Let's hope too that we will follow Israel's example and ban the sale of any product that has been tested on animals.
There is hope ........
As a result, some companies have been stripped of their "leaping bunny" logo (which signifies cruelty-free products).
The good news is, Chinese scientists are being helped to switch to in vitro cosmetics testing methods (i.e. non-animal) and the Chinese government is being persuaded to accept the results of these tests in place of the animal tests it currently requires.
Further reading:
http://www.peta.org/b/thepetafiles/archive/tags/animal+testing/default.aspx
Although I feel PETA are a bit guilty of showing only the bad things when it comes to animals in the food industy and fail to point people in the direction of good animal welfare practice (and constantly try to get you to commit to a vegetarian/vegan lifestyle), when it comes to their work to stop animal testing on cosmetics, toiletries and household products, they have done a fabulous job.
Let's hope too that we will follow Israel's example and ban the sale of any product that has been tested on animals.
There is hope ........
Nature is cruel .....
During a conversation and my attempt to highlight how cruel and unnecessary it is to test on animals, I was met with the response "but nature is cruel".
Visions of wildlife documentaries came to mind of whales killing seals, poor baby wildebeest being separated from their mothers and brought down by lions or even worse, being eaten alive by hyenas. Elephant calves dying of thirst during a drought. I even witnessed a horrible incident involving my own pet dogs where Luki's ill-fitting muzzle came off when she took a tumble while she and Finn were chasing a young deer and Luki brought the deer down. She had clamped her jaws round the back of its neck in an attempt to strangle it (had she got it by the throat she may well have succeeded). The horrible noises the young deer was making in its feeble attempt to escape and cling on to its life. Had Ian and I not managed to get to it on time, that poor little deer would have died. Luckily we did and it ran off without a mark on its neck. (We have since replaced the muzzle and don't allow both dogs off the lead together, otherwise they do go off hunting).
Yes, it would appear nature is cruel. Nature is also a force outside our control.
For a split second I saw an argument FOR humans testing on animals ..... i.e. we have been allowed by nature to evolve and develop into what we are, and as a result of "progress" we have become a race that conducts horrible experiments on lesser species, which results in immeasurable pain, suffering, maiming and killing, in the name of beauty, hygiene, nice clean homes, etc. Call it evolution if you like.
That argument was soon thwarted when I compared why animals kill animals and why humans kill/maim animals. Animals kill animals to survive, in the animal testing industry, we kill animals not to survive, but to make ourselves look better, smell nicer, spend less time and effort cleaning our homes. That is not justifiable. That is vanity and laziness. And considering there are plenty of products on the market that do the same job cruelty-free*, it is downright sadistic.
Not only that, in nature, animals act instinctively. Going back to my dog Luki and the deer, she was acting instinctively, clamping her jaws around what should have been its throat, waiting for it to die, her front legs were wrapped round its body, holding on to it. I was surprised when I momentarily marvelled at the visceral behaviour she was displaying, almost like a proud lioness watching her youngster kill for the first time! Survival of the fittest.
You can forgive cruelty in nature for the sole reason that each creature is acting instinctively in a bid to survive.
We humans have lost all animalistic instincts as we've evolved, we do not act instinctively in a bid to survive and we can't be forgiven for deliberately and knowingly inflicting pain on animals in the name of vanity and hygiene. We don't need to look good to survive. We don't even need to eat meat to survive (as a carnivore, I'm struggling to commit to that or to put a case together to support that), but that's another blog!
"Nature is cruel" is therefore no reason to ignore, accept or condone animal testing. In my opinion it's saying you don't care enough to make some small changes to your shopping list and I can't understand how anyone, who has followed my blog, can continue to buy products from companies that routinely test# on animals. Can you?
* http://www.gocrueltyfree.org/shopper
# See "China" blog.
Visions of wildlife documentaries came to mind of whales killing seals, poor baby wildebeest being separated from their mothers and brought down by lions or even worse, being eaten alive by hyenas. Elephant calves dying of thirst during a drought. I even witnessed a horrible incident involving my own pet dogs where Luki's ill-fitting muzzle came off when she took a tumble while she and Finn were chasing a young deer and Luki brought the deer down. She had clamped her jaws round the back of its neck in an attempt to strangle it (had she got it by the throat she may well have succeeded). The horrible noises the young deer was making in its feeble attempt to escape and cling on to its life. Had Ian and I not managed to get to it on time, that poor little deer would have died. Luckily we did and it ran off without a mark on its neck. (We have since replaced the muzzle and don't allow both dogs off the lead together, otherwise they do go off hunting).
Yes, it would appear nature is cruel. Nature is also a force outside our control.
For a split second I saw an argument FOR humans testing on animals ..... i.e. we have been allowed by nature to evolve and develop into what we are, and as a result of "progress" we have become a race that conducts horrible experiments on lesser species, which results in immeasurable pain, suffering, maiming and killing, in the name of beauty, hygiene, nice clean homes, etc. Call it evolution if you like.
That argument was soon thwarted when I compared why animals kill animals and why humans kill/maim animals. Animals kill animals to survive, in the animal testing industry, we kill animals not to survive, but to make ourselves look better, smell nicer, spend less time and effort cleaning our homes. That is not justifiable. That is vanity and laziness. And considering there are plenty of products on the market that do the same job cruelty-free*, it is downright sadistic.
Not only that, in nature, animals act instinctively. Going back to my dog Luki and the deer, she was acting instinctively, clamping her jaws around what should have been its throat, waiting for it to die, her front legs were wrapped round its body, holding on to it. I was surprised when I momentarily marvelled at the visceral behaviour she was displaying, almost like a proud lioness watching her youngster kill for the first time! Survival of the fittest.
You can forgive cruelty in nature for the sole reason that each creature is acting instinctively in a bid to survive.
We humans have lost all animalistic instincts as we've evolved, we do not act instinctively in a bid to survive and we can't be forgiven for deliberately and knowingly inflicting pain on animals in the name of vanity and hygiene. We don't need to look good to survive. We don't even need to eat meat to survive (as a carnivore, I'm struggling to commit to that or to put a case together to support that), but that's another blog!
"Nature is cruel" is therefore no reason to ignore, accept or condone animal testing. In my opinion it's saying you don't care enough to make some small changes to your shopping list and I can't understand how anyone, who has followed my blog, can continue to buy products from companies that routinely test# on animals. Can you?
* http://www.gocrueltyfree.org/shopper
# See "China" blog.
Wednesday, 23 January 2013
1st reply from Laverstoke Park (abattoir)
Reply from the abattoir:
That's pretty good news, but my suspicious mind is suggesting they're perhaps hiding something because the reply is so concise. If it were my company and I was confident of my high animal welfare standards, I'd promote it a bit more, perhaps going on to explain how the CCTV footage is monitored, i.e. how often, by whom, etc. Think I'd sell it a bit more if I had nothing to hide. Therefore I've asked them to elaborate and will post their reply. I'm sooo wanting to like Laverstoke Park, but need a response from the farm too to confirm they don't debeak, dehorn or castrate without painkillers (it would appear that they don't castrate or tail-dock pigs).
The accreditations at the bottom of their email were impressive, especially since the organisation Compassion in World Farming had awarded "Good Egg", "Good Pig" and "Good Dairy" to Laverstoke Park Farm.
Watch these happy ending videos - a much welcome change to the previous links I've posted.
http://www.compassioninfoodbusiness.com/awards/good-egg-award/
If I'm satisfied, I will order meat online from Laverstoke Park. Yes, it's more expensive than meat from animals who have really suffered, but can you really put a price on that? I know people will argue that they can't afford it* - I certainly won't be able to afford to buy as much, but that's the answer - I just won't buy as much. Meat will become a less staple part of Ian's and my diet and I will look to vegetarian alternatives.
*Don't you just hate when people use such excuses when in reality they just don't care? Why hide behind a feeble excuse? Have the decency to say you don't really care or at least admit it's not high on your list of priorities!
So, do you care enough?
"We have always had CCTV throughout all our factories.
In the lairage for the purpose of animal welfare and in all our other factories for the purpose of food safety and quality."
That's pretty good news, but my suspicious mind is suggesting they're perhaps hiding something because the reply is so concise. If it were my company and I was confident of my high animal welfare standards, I'd promote it a bit more, perhaps going on to explain how the CCTV footage is monitored, i.e. how often, by whom, etc. Think I'd sell it a bit more if I had nothing to hide. Therefore I've asked them to elaborate and will post their reply. I'm sooo wanting to like Laverstoke Park, but need a response from the farm too to confirm they don't debeak, dehorn or castrate without painkillers (it would appear that they don't castrate or tail-dock pigs).
The accreditations at the bottom of their email were impressive, especially since the organisation Compassion in World Farming had awarded "Good Egg", "Good Pig" and "Good Dairy" to Laverstoke Park Farm.
Watch these happy ending videos - a much welcome change to the previous links I've posted.
http://www.compassioninfoodbusiness.com/awards/good-egg-award/
If I'm satisfied, I will order meat online from Laverstoke Park. Yes, it's more expensive than meat from animals who have really suffered, but can you really put a price on that? I know people will argue that they can't afford it* - I certainly won't be able to afford to buy as much, but that's the answer - I just won't buy as much. Meat will become a less staple part of Ian's and my diet and I will look to vegetarian alternatives.
*Don't you just hate when people use such excuses when in reality they just don't care? Why hide behind a feeble excuse? Have the decency to say you don't really care or at least admit it's not high on your list of priorities!
So, do you care enough?
Aaagghh - help required already!
Hardly into my campaign and already hitting my first stumbling block.
Downloaded PETAs Vegetarian/Vegan Starter Kit and, ignoring everything but the recipes, I'm hating it already!
I don't think I can do it. I'm an avid foodie. I love to eat (very obvious looking at my ever-expanding figure!).
Everything I love is apparently cruel. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with gravy made from the lovely meat juices. I love my homemade gravy, it's the best ever - how can I possibly replace it?! Cheese sauce for my cauliflower. I love my homemade cheese sauce, it's the best ever - how can I possibly replace it?! Saving up for and dining at Michelin-star restaurants. McDonalds Sausage and Egg McMuffins. Aaagghhh!
VEGETARIANS - PLEASE HELP ME!
I like to cook from scratch, I don't like to buy ready meals, I have a carnivorous husband to think about, I'd like to be able to eat out guilt-free. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GUIDE ME.
How can I make vegetarian food as delicious as my meat dishes?
This is not easy compared to choosing cruelty-free beauty, household and fashion products. That's an easy switch to make and there's nothing to stop everyone from making that switch. The switch to vegetarianism is much harder and I take my hat off to those of you who are veggies.
I'm almost praying that Laverstoke Park Farm (see previous blog "To be or not to be ..... a carnivore") get back to me and tell me that their animals live natural outdoor lives without suffering, are walked along a tree-lined boulevard to the abattoir where they're made comfortable in an environment they find stress-free. Are stunned properly and killed humanely and immediately before you can say stun-gun. But I think that's a big ask.
I'm frantically considering other options, e.g. renting a field, looking after some animals, and whether it's possible to have them put to sleep humanely on site. Then having them butchered for our own and friends' consumption. As I've said in a previous blog, all living things die and who wouldn't hope for a very quick death with minimal/no suffering?
Some of you may know already that we keep a few egg-laying chickens, but I'm now looking at keeping some for meat and "despatching" them myself, quickly and humanely. It's a cop-out I know, but I'm against animal suffering. Death will happen anyway. Ian's good with a shotgun and he can shoot to kill instantly, so perhaps game can stay on the menu.
Blimey I'm certainly trying to cling on to and justify my carnivorous lifestyle, but feel it slipping like sand between my fingers........
Downloaded PETAs Vegetarian/Vegan Starter Kit and, ignoring everything but the recipes, I'm hating it already!
I don't think I can do it. I'm an avid foodie. I love to eat (very obvious looking at my ever-expanding figure!).
Everything I love is apparently cruel. Roast beef and Yorkshire pudding with gravy made from the lovely meat juices. I love my homemade gravy, it's the best ever - how can I possibly replace it?! Cheese sauce for my cauliflower. I love my homemade cheese sauce, it's the best ever - how can I possibly replace it?! Saving up for and dining at Michelin-star restaurants. McDonalds Sausage and Egg McMuffins. Aaagghhh!
VEGETARIANS - PLEASE HELP ME!
I like to cook from scratch, I don't like to buy ready meals, I have a carnivorous husband to think about, I'd like to be able to eat out guilt-free. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GUIDE ME.
How can I make vegetarian food as delicious as my meat dishes?
This is not easy compared to choosing cruelty-free beauty, household and fashion products. That's an easy switch to make and there's nothing to stop everyone from making that switch. The switch to vegetarianism is much harder and I take my hat off to those of you who are veggies.
I'm almost praying that Laverstoke Park Farm (see previous blog "To be or not to be ..... a carnivore") get back to me and tell me that their animals live natural outdoor lives without suffering, are walked along a tree-lined boulevard to the abattoir where they're made comfortable in an environment they find stress-free. Are stunned properly and killed humanely and immediately before you can say stun-gun. But I think that's a big ask.
I'm frantically considering other options, e.g. renting a field, looking after some animals, and whether it's possible to have them put to sleep humanely on site. Then having them butchered for our own and friends' consumption. As I've said in a previous blog, all living things die and who wouldn't hope for a very quick death with minimal/no suffering?
Some of you may know already that we keep a few egg-laying chickens, but I'm now looking at keeping some for meat and "despatching" them myself, quickly and humanely. It's a cop-out I know, but I'm against animal suffering. Death will happen anyway. Ian's good with a shotgun and he can shoot to kill instantly, so perhaps game can stay on the menu.
Blimey I'm certainly trying to cling on to and justify my carnivorous lifestyle, but feel it slipping like sand between my fingers........
Mutton dressed as lamb .....
OMG now I can't buy leather shoes or handbags or clothes with wool in them!
If only I'd seen these videos before I bought all my merino wool tops and socks or my leather shoes. I'm absolutely devastated that I have contributed to the barbaric mulesing of sheep and lambs. I feel sick. Retailers should be forced to put warning labels on these garments.
I'm pleading with you to man up and watch these 2 videos. I was blissfully ignorant a few days ago and sometimes I wish I didn't know, but it's one of those things where the need to know becomes so consuming that you just have to watch, knowing fine well that you're not going to like what you see. Curiosity killed the cat, but in this instance it may well save some baby lambs and innocent cows. Take the plunge. Watch and learn. Then make your decision.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hZh_zrV6oY Stella McCartney's video (upsetting)
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1htT1HnZ2mY&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D1htT1HnZ2mY&has_verified=1 Pink's video (shocking)
Watch these videos if you dare, then please let me know if they have affected what you will buy in future.
If only I'd seen these videos before I bought all my merino wool tops and socks or my leather shoes. I'm absolutely devastated that I have contributed to the barbaric mulesing of sheep and lambs. I feel sick. Retailers should be forced to put warning labels on these garments.
I'm pleading with you to man up and watch these 2 videos. I was blissfully ignorant a few days ago and sometimes I wish I didn't know, but it's one of those things where the need to know becomes so consuming that you just have to watch, knowing fine well that you're not going to like what you see. Curiosity killed the cat, but in this instance it may well save some baby lambs and innocent cows. Take the plunge. Watch and learn. Then make your decision.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7hZh_zrV6oY Stella McCartney's video (upsetting)
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1htT1HnZ2mY&oref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D1htT1HnZ2mY&has_verified=1 Pink's video (shocking)
Watch these videos if you dare, then please let me know if they have affected what you will buy in future.
To be or not to be ........ a carnivore?
OK, so here's my first dilemma.
I joined PETA UK (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and they have some great information, disturbing video footage, celebrity endorsement and I admire most of what they achieve.
However, they seem to really want to promote vegetarianism or even vegan(ism?) and I can't find any information on organic farms in the UK and their animal welfare standards other than this very disturbing link:
http://action.peta.org.uk/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=5&ea.campaign.id=5577&c=pukfpaa
Now I'm reluctant to buy even organic meat.
Some supermarkets, including Sainsburys, Waitrose and Morrisons only stock meat from abattoirs with CCTV installed. While that's slightly reassuring, it's not constantly monitored.
I've written to Laverstoke Park Farm, Overton, Hampshire (who have their own abattoir on site) to ask if they debeak, dehorn and castrate any of their animals without painkillers and whether or not they have CCTV installed in their abattoir. I await their reply.
I honestly and absolutely love meat and I may be frantically searching for a way to justify being a carnivore, but it's not looking good. Other than raising and looking after my own animals during their lives and their deaths, I cannot be 100% guaranteed that the meat I eat is not from an animal who suffered.
All living things die, that is the most factual fact there is! And who wouldn't choose a quick death? I feel no guilt in eating an animal that has had a good life and dies instantaneously without any stress, but I'm beginning to think that animal doesn't exist. And so my subject question "to be or not to be a carnivore" is veering towards the not.
Guess I'll have to go out and buy some vegetarian or even, (heavy sigh) vegan cookbooks.
Oh it was soooo much easier having my head buried in the sand .......
I joined PETA UK (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) and they have some great information, disturbing video footage, celebrity endorsement and I admire most of what they achieve.
However, they seem to really want to promote vegetarianism or even vegan(ism?) and I can't find any information on organic farms in the UK and their animal welfare standards other than this very disturbing link:
http://action.peta.org.uk/ea-campaign/clientcampaign.do?ea.client.id=5&ea.campaign.id=5577&c=pukfpaa
Now I'm reluctant to buy even organic meat.
Some supermarkets, including Sainsburys, Waitrose and Morrisons only stock meat from abattoirs with CCTV installed. While that's slightly reassuring, it's not constantly monitored.
I've written to Laverstoke Park Farm, Overton, Hampshire (who have their own abattoir on site) to ask if they debeak, dehorn and castrate any of their animals without painkillers and whether or not they have CCTV installed in their abattoir. I await their reply.
I honestly and absolutely love meat and I may be frantically searching for a way to justify being a carnivore, but it's not looking good. Other than raising and looking after my own animals during their lives and their deaths, I cannot be 100% guaranteed that the meat I eat is not from an animal who suffered.
All living things die, that is the most factual fact there is! And who wouldn't choose a quick death? I feel no guilt in eating an animal that has had a good life and dies instantaneously without any stress, but I'm beginning to think that animal doesn't exist. And so my subject question "to be or not to be a carnivore" is veering towards the not.
Guess I'll have to go out and buy some vegetarian or even, (heavy sigh) vegan cookbooks.
Oh it was soooo much easier having my head buried in the sand .......
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Big Companies
I wrote to M&S because although their own branded toiletries, cosmetics and household products are not tested on animals, they now stock P&G products, (ironic that my initials are PG!), and I was disheartened that they are basically profitting from a company that does test on animals.
I was quite impressed with their reply:
"Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with us. I’m sorry to hear you’ve been disappointed to find that we're selling some products manufactured by Proctor and Gamble, who have tested on animals.
Whilst we’re unable to make comment on other companies policies, I can assure you we only work with trusted suppliers and companies who adhere to strict quality and ethical sourcing controls. I understand Proctor and Gamble only use animal testing as a last resort, however, I can appreciate how disappointed you are by this. I will ensure your feedback is brought to the attention of our Corporate Policy team so we can review the companies we choose to do business with.
We do of course offer M&S branded alternatives to the vast majority of branded goods we sell so you can make an informed decision. If you’d like to find out more information on our animal testing and ethical sourcing policies you can do so via www.marksandpspencer.com/plana
I hope this answers your query in full. If you do have any further enquiries, please don't hesitate to contact us."
I also asked Kraft Foods about the milk products used in the making of their Philadelphia cheese, i.e. from factory farms or cows allowed to graze on real grass as cows would naturally do. Was not impressed with their reply. A simple "yes, they are grass fed" or "no, they are factory farmed" was all I wanted, but instead I got a whole spiel about EU Animal Welfare Legislation (which is crap, by the way) and how their suppliers comply with these standards. In other words, the poor cows are factory farmed and that is CRUEL.
Based on this, I have decided to stop buying Kraft foods but will continue to shop at M&S.
I was quite impressed with their reply:
"Thank you for taking the time to get in touch with us. I’m sorry to hear you’ve been disappointed to find that we're selling some products manufactured by Proctor and Gamble, who have tested on animals.
Whilst we’re unable to make comment on other companies policies, I can assure you we only work with trusted suppliers and companies who adhere to strict quality and ethical sourcing controls. I understand Proctor and Gamble only use animal testing as a last resort, however, I can appreciate how disappointed you are by this. I will ensure your feedback is brought to the attention of our Corporate Policy team so we can review the companies we choose to do business with.
We do of course offer M&S branded alternatives to the vast majority of branded goods we sell so you can make an informed decision. If you’d like to find out more information on our animal testing and ethical sourcing policies you can do so via www.marksandpspencer.com/plana
I hope this answers your query in full. If you do have any further enquiries, please don't hesitate to contact us."
I also asked Kraft Foods about the milk products used in the making of their Philadelphia cheese, i.e. from factory farms or cows allowed to graze on real grass as cows would naturally do. Was not impressed with their reply. A simple "yes, they are grass fed" or "no, they are factory farmed" was all I wanted, but instead I got a whole spiel about EU Animal Welfare Legislation (which is crap, by the way) and how their suppliers comply with these standards. In other words, the poor cows are factory farmed and that is CRUEL.
Based on this, I have decided to stop buying Kraft foods but will continue to shop at M&S.
How it all began .... (not for the faint-hearted)
I chose "Medeina" as my blog name because she is the Lithuanian goddess of trees, the forest and animals. Appropriate because my mum's side of the family is Lithuanian and I love animals. Also Ian and I, along with some good friends, do a bit of coppicing for firewood in a bit of woodland someone has kindly given us access to.
Like every other average person in this country, I go to the supermarket, I buy toiletries, cosmetics, cleaning products, I eat dairy and meat - opting for free-range and organic, (thanks to the work of various celebrity chefs highlighting animal welfare issues). I felt smug.
One day at work, while talking to the girls, my colleague Cara, mentioned something about Proctor and Gamble testing on animals. From that point, I lifted my head out of the sand, did a bit of research and watched this youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbM1h0YsafQ (This video is upsetting and I sobbed).
I decided to boycott all P&G products as well as Unilever. That was the start of my campaign and a lot of soul-searching.
This blog is intended to give you an insight into how I, an everyday, average person am feeling about animal welfare issues, how others react to my campaign, what large companies and organisations I've approached and their answers and even my own doubts and weaknesses in my battle to stop animal suffering. I'll try to keep it interesting and hopefully it may influence the choices you make too.
Further research disclosed that P&G and Unilever own a multitude of other brands and it was easier to find cruelty free products via this link:
http://www.gocrueltyfree.org/shopper
It's a start.
Like every other average person in this country, I go to the supermarket, I buy toiletries, cosmetics, cleaning products, I eat dairy and meat - opting for free-range and organic, (thanks to the work of various celebrity chefs highlighting animal welfare issues). I felt smug.
One day at work, while talking to the girls, my colleague Cara, mentioned something about Proctor and Gamble testing on animals. From that point, I lifted my head out of the sand, did a bit of research and watched this youtube video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbM1h0YsafQ (This video is upsetting and I sobbed).
I decided to boycott all P&G products as well as Unilever. That was the start of my campaign and a lot of soul-searching.
This blog is intended to give you an insight into how I, an everyday, average person am feeling about animal welfare issues, how others react to my campaign, what large companies and organisations I've approached and their answers and even my own doubts and weaknesses in my battle to stop animal suffering. I'll try to keep it interesting and hopefully it may influence the choices you make too.
Further research disclosed that P&G and Unilever own a multitude of other brands and it was easier to find cruelty free products via this link:
http://www.gocrueltyfree.org/shopper
It's a start.
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