Boolie debates: Should we support charities that test on animals?

Controversial subject alert....DUN DUN DUUUUUN!

Being vegan can often leave a person with lots of personal choices to make and these choices can open you up to a lot of ridicule from others. I am questioned about my veganism almost everyday and people will often find my beliefs strange and a lot of the time they never truly understand.

Charities that test on animals for medical research is often a subject that causes lengthy and in depth debates. Of course everyone knows that animal tests are conducted all over the world for cosmetics and household cleaning products and of course everyone thinks that it is disgusting - although they still buy the products but this is an entirely different subject so I wont ramble - but what a lot of people seem to turn a blind eye to is the fact that animals are still put through these awfully painful and horrific tests for medical purposes.

There are various medical charities such as the British Heart Foundation and Cancer Research that do use animals in their labs - I wont go into detail as you can find it all online - and I spent a long time going over it in my head but I think the answer for me was always there it just needed confirming.

As a vegan, I see animals and humans as equal; we are all earthlings and I do not for one second believe that humans have priority over animals on this planet. It would be hypocritical of me to have these beliefs and agree with animal testing. Whether it is for cosmetic or medical purposes, it is not acceptable for us to use animals in this way.

I will not support or donate to charities that test on animals as I do not believe that we should torture animals for our benefit. Why does a human being have more of a right to live than an animal? All animals are beautiful, intelligent creatures and we should not exploit them in this way regardless of whether we may be saving human's lives. An animal should not die or be put through pain for us to live; that's not how life works.

Now for something really controversial; Have you ever thought that perhaps if we cured all of these illnesses then there may be too many people in the world and we would in fact be attempting to 'play god'? (Side note, I'm not religious as such, that was just a figure of speech.) Not at all am I saying that people deserves these illnesses that cause pain and possibly death but at the same time neither does an animal, therefore I will never tolerate animal testing in any form.

I am very interested to hear what other people have to say about this subject, drop me a comment below.

BB

For The Oceans



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Votes for Animals

Following on a little from my last blog post about the opening of Lush on Oxford Street, I wanted to also speak to you guys about the Votes for Animals march I took part in and the campaign we are running at Lush. 

When I attended a team meeting at work I was informed of the VIP Press opening day at Oxford Street and was also told that I could put my name down to take place in a march which runs alongside the campaign we will be running in Lush stores through to election day.

The campaign is called Votes for Animals and it is about encouraging people to consider animal welfare before voting; we want people to check out party policies on animal rights before making a decision. There are obviously certain parties who are more in favour of protecting animals and we want to ensure that people know where to find the information needed to choose a party that also speaks for animals who do not have a voice or a chance to vote for their own welfare. 

This year has seen the return of the May Day bath bomb which is designed as a cute little badger with fennel, rosewood and bergamot oils for an uplifting, refreshing scent. The money from May Day is split between three animal charities, The League Against Cruel Sports, Save Me and Animal Aid. Each one of these charities are also promoting the campaign. So just by popping into a Lush store and purchasing one, or even online, you will be helping.

You can purchase it online here ---> May Day Bath Bomb

In support of the campaign, on the day of the VIP Press opening on Oxford Street, Lush employees & members of the above charities were invited to take part in a March from outside the new shop all the way to the Houses of Parliament where we then listened to speeches from various passionate people including Brian May and Peter Egan.

 

During his speech Brian May said: "We need a different kind of society, I believe we need a radical shake up.

 

"For the last five years and even beyond that we have been in a situation where there is no compassion for any other species apart from humans and believe me, there's very little compassion for humans either.

 

"I believe we are worthy of a better government and we will vote on May 7th for animals and for common decency!"

On the march people were encouraged to dress in the style of suffragettes and we wore Votes for Animals sashes & rosettes. It's safe to say that the march had a huge impact with extensive press coverage and many leaflets handed out.

I felt so overwhelmed by the turnout; it made me feel so proud to work for a company that are so dedicated to protecting our planet and those who reside here. 

You can check out the Votes for Animals website to gather some more information here: Votes for Animals

It is such an important campaign; we must speak up for these animals. Animals do not have the privilege of voting therefore we must be a voice for them and consider their welfare when placing our own votes.

BB

For The Oceans