Save the Easter Bunny!
Clean Up Your Act
Clear your house of all those products tested on rabbits and other animals and replacing them with cruelty-free cosmetics, household cleaners, and personal care products. Caring consumers who boycott animal-tested products play a vital role in pushing companies and government agencies to adopt more relevant and humane non-animal test methods.
Bullying Bunnies
No law requires that cosmetics and household products be tested on animals, yet millions of rabbits are subjected to painful eye and skin tests for pharmaceutical and consumer testing in order to “prove” product safety. Experimenters like to use rabbits because they are easy to cage, have large veins in their ears for drawing blood, and reproduce quickly.
The Draize eye and skin irritation-corrosion test dates back to the 1940s. During this test, rabbits are immobilized in full-body restraints while a substance is applied to their eyes or onto their shaved skin. Laboratory technicians then record the damage at specific intervals for hours or days. Rabbits may suffer swollen eyelids, irritated and cloudy eyes, and inflamed skin, and in the case of irreversible corrosive damage, they may endure ulcers, bleeding, bloody scabs, or blindness.
More Than Just ‘Test Tubes With Whiskers’
Rabbits are playful and inquisitive animals with distinct personalities, just like dogs and cats. They like to push and toss things around, climb and crawl over things, hop into the air, dig, and chew. Most rabbits love to be stroked and gently petted and may “purr” when content.
| Rabbits at Home | Rabbits in Labs |
| Run, play, and explore | Are sometimes kept immobile in head and body restraints |
| Are fastidious groomers | Endure open, painful, and bloody wounds caused by caustic test chemicals |
| Enjoy being petted and cuddled | Are roughly handled and never experience a kind word or touch |
| Will run and hide at the first sign of danger | Are unable to escape even the most painful and frightening procedure |
What You Can Do
It’s simple: Buy products that aren’t cruelly tested on rabbits and other animals. There are hundreds to choose from, such as Estée Lauder, Avon, Method Products, and many others. Look for your favorite brands on our free list of cruelty-free products.
Read more about cosmetics testing on animals.
