Questionable Ethics

I'll be 100% honest and say that I've ALWAYS been against animal testing for Cosmetic purposes. I can remember writing endless essays about it at school, checking labels for cruelty free logos and actively choosing to to shop in places like the Body Shop and Lush because they were cruelty free. Over the Winter, I carefully checked all labels for any trace of Angora, I didn't want bunnies to have suffered for me to be warm and cosy. I went through a Vegetarian phase and Vegan Phase and I still carefully select my eggs (you can't un-see those tragic images of the factory farmed chickens). I still rarely eat meat but that has more to do with the fact that my tummy seems to have issues with it, not my brain. 

I consider myself a person with ethics. I have values and things I believe in, I give to charity and I try to do my bit. Recently, I decided to start sending out letters for a Charity event which will raise a substantial amount of money for Cancer Charities. The reason I was sending letters was because I wanted to supply goody bags with a few samples and bits and bobs in as a thank you for peoples kind donations. 

So all these 'ethical' companies that won't support a charity event because of animal testing will actually never donate anything because even medicine that has been trialled in other ways HAS to go through safety trials on animals. I won't be naming any of the Companies that I contacted because that won't help the issue in the slightest. I just think that if all medicine has to go through animal trials by law then Charities shouldn't be struggling to find support because of it. 

I carefully wrote out my letter, I detailed who I was, who I was writing on behalf of, explained the event and named the charities. I sent it out to 60 UK based companies, small and large and what was the response?

60 'Sorry, but no' emails. Why? Surely we all want to fight Cancer, we all want to get that much closer to a cure? This was the response from one MAJOR UK based Global company;

Hello Kimberley,

Thank you for your email. Although *COMPANY NAME* support a lot charities, there are a few we are unable to. Cancer charities are included in this list as there is a conflict of interest in our Animal Testing policies. 

Apologies that we can not help you out with your event, but we wish you the best of luck.

Kind regards,

Ben

Customer Care

Their local store, who I had contacted directly about the Charity event and a Blogger event, told me:

 'charities that we support must be in line with our ethics' 

Therefore, they couldn't help me. They would however, be more than happy to help with Samples for a Blogger event. Hmmm.

Now, call me crazy but that seems a bit odd to me. I know animal testing is cruel but frankly, If you're willing to let people die of crippling terminal illnesses to save animals, that suggests to me that your ethical compass is pointing in the wrong direction. That statement really shouldn't be as controversial as some people will make it sound. I fully accept that, as a nation, we love our animals but if you have ever had an experience with Cancer (or any Disease for that matter) I'm sure you would encourage all kinds of research and you would expect that most companies would be ready to support this. 

Interestingly, when I investigated this issue further, I found that the 3 charities we are supporting at our event have all made statements regarding their position funding research involving animals. They are very clear about the fact that they DO NOT fund research that requires testing on Animals. Great! However, It's worth pointing out that legislation actually requires all new medicines to be used on animals during safety trials. So the best that any Charity can do is limit the number of investigations and trials they do before they get to that stage. This is ANY medical charity that raises money to fund research. 

I find it unsettling, but sadly not at all surprising, that Individuals and Companies are willing to put the Welfare of Animals before the Welfare of Humans and that they would consider steps towards a cure for Cancer 'unethical'. 

Charities fund more medical research than the Government and the NHS. In my personal opinion, if I had to choose between a cure for a medical condition (ANYTHING at all - Cancer, Lupus, you name it) and the lives of the animals it took to find that cure - I would chose the cure.

It's a fine line, I know. I would never agree to animal testing for cosmetic purposes but for medical reasons I can completely see the point! It's really made me think twice about my 'ethical' shopping choices!