Government Urged Not To Miss Cosmetics Win For Animals

Animal advocacy organisation SAFE is urging the Government not to let animals down and vote for an amendment to the Animal Welfare Bill. The amendment would ban cosmetics testing on animals forever. The Bill had it’s second reading in Parliament last night and MPs will now have the opportunity to vote for or against cosmetic testing.

The amendment was introduced in Parliament by Green MP Mojo Mathers and it is the latest effort in a growing global trend towards cruelty-free products. Israel, India, the 28 member states of the European Union and the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo, have already banned cosmetics animal testing. Legislative measures are under discussion in Australia, South Korea, the United States and beyond.

SAFE says a ban would ensure that animals do not have to suffer horrific deaths for the sake of cosmetic products.

“Animal testing involves some of the most horrific cruelty imaginable, and there really is no excuse to drip chemicals in their eyes or on their skin for frivolous products,” says SAFE campaign officer Shanti Ahluwalia. “The situation is now urgent. New Zealand’s reputation is increasingly coming under scrutiny from overseas, and it is difficult to see how failing to ban cruel cosmetics testing would go unnoticed. We must step up and join other countries in banning these tests.”

SAFE urges the Government to listen to the thousands of people who sent submissions and e-cards for better animal welfare standards and ensure that changes to the final Animal Welfare Act will bring meaningful improvements to the lives of animals in New Zealand.

The public can urge the Government to support the amendment by visiting www.safe.org.nz

Consumers can also use SAFE’s free SAFEShopper App for iPhone and Android to find cruelty-free cosmetics.

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