14 November 2013

New Zealand Animal Testing Campaign Wins International Prize

SAFE is proud to announce that it is a winner of the Lush Prize, an international award for outstanding contributions to replacing animal testing.

The prize was awarded today in London in the ‘Public Awareness’ category, for “publicising the use of animal-testing in national drugs regulation and helping consumers to buy cruelty-free products”.

“The award comes with a prize of £25,000 (NZ $48,000) which will give a significant boost to SAFE’s campaign against animal testing in 2014,” says SAFE Executive Director Hans Kriek. SAFE was nominated specifically for SAFEShopper, the consumer guide for products not tested on animals, its work on the New Zealand arm of the international Be Cruelty Free campaign aiming for a ban on cosmetics testing, and its part in fighting proposed party pill testing on animals.

SAFE had stiff competition as over forty projects from fourteen different countries made it onto the final list, including projects by large international organisations. All the short-listed projects were judged to have contributed to advancing animal-free safety testing, through scientific research, training, lobbying or public awareness in 2012.

"This year's short list is really impressive," said Rob Harrison, a Lush Prize director. "Some of our nominees are influencing international policy on animal testing and some have even helped change national laws. It's also great to see organisations making real progress in developing animal-free testing technologies and keeping the issue in the public eye through films and education. The global nature of this year's short list also illustrates the global nature of the movement for change."

“SAFE is now working to achieve a complete ban on cosmetic and party pill testing on animals, as part of the review of the Animal Welfare Amendment Act,” says Mr Kriek. “Consumer polls show that nearly nine out of ten New Zealanders agree with SAFE that it is cruel and unnecessary to test party pills and cosmetics on animals. It is time for the government to listen and introduce permanent bans in the new legislation.”

Caring New Zealanders are encouraged to send an e-card to John Key asking for a cosmetics testing ban at safeshopper.org.nz.

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