World Week for Animals in Laboratories 2011- What You Don't Know Will Hurt Them

Every day, millions of animals are tortured in research labs, enduring painful tests that cause intense physical, mental, and emotional pain. During World Week for Animals in Laboratories Week 2011 (WWAIL), please take time to honor the lives of these animals and consider ways that you can play a part in reducing their needless suffering.



Tens of millions of animals like primates, bunnies and other rodents, cats, and dogs are dissected, infected, injected, gassed, burned and blinded in the name of science. Completely against their will, they are forced to suffer unspeakable experiments. In the US alone, 28 million lab animals suffer each year; 18 million of those are killed. But those are just the ones we know about, as federal law does not require the reporting of such numbers. Add in Canada, England, and the Netherlands, and nearly 5 million more endure the same horrid existence.



Given recent growth in awareness of the plight of animals at the hands of humans, it's shameful and surprising that there are no laws in place to prevent cruel testing on live beings. The laws that are in place (like the Animal Welfare Act) set guidelines merely for how animals are treated before and after the actual testing. Animal testing is not required by law, yet companies persist in the immorality of it despite viable alternatives to it that reduce suffering, reduce the number of animals "needed" for testing, or eliminate using animals as subjects altogether.



Please learn the truth about animal testing and choose to support only companies that do not test. Shop and support cruelty-free.

Leaping Bunny Compassionate Shopping Guide

Directory of Cruelty-Free Companies

Other ways you can fight animal cruelty in the form of animal testing:

* Learn about it and stay informed. Visit these websites for more information about animal testing (all were sources for the info in this post):
The Truth About Vivisection
Vivisection Information network
National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS)

* Spread awareness at every opportunity to friends, family, etc. via Facebook and Twitter, blogging, and emails.

* Take action politically- contact your officials through letters encouraging them to support legislation against testing and for improvement of animal welfare legislation. Know your candidates' views on the issues and vote for those who are on the side of the animal welfare and advocacy.

* Join and/or follow the activities of animal advocacy groups.

* Sign petitions online, an increasingly powerful tool in the fight against animal cruelty and other issues. Good places to start: Care2's Petition Site has a comprehensive list, as does Change.org.

* Write to companies, universities, and other entities that emply animal testing to encourage them to stop testing. Let them know that you won't support or patronize them unless they stop. You can start with this list of major companies that test.