Animal Aid: Living without cruelty

LIVING WITHOUT CRUELTY

Living without cruelty

Much of Animal Aid's work is directed at exposing cruelty to animals. But it is equally important to promote the many different ways in which individual people, in their own lives, can help end animal suffering.

Ordinary, everyday decisions make a difference! We call it Living Without Cruelty. Simple actions like choosing only to buy cosmetics that haven’t been tested on animals, adopting a fur free policy when it comes to buying clothes and accessories and cutting animal products from your diet, are examples of positive steps you can take. And don’t worry, you will still be able to shop in your favourite stores. Once you start looking, you won’t believe how many cruelty-free items are available.

Christmas Without Cruelty

Every December, Animal Aid's Living Without Cruelty campaign is promoted with an easy guide to a cruelty-free Christmas. We also stage Animal Aid's Christmas Fayre in central London, which is packed with gifts to buy and delicious food, plus talks by well-known speakers and a children's play area.

Cruelty-Free Goods

Despite the UK government no longer issuing licenses to test cosmetics on animals, many of the products on sale in Britain have been tested on animals in other countries. When shopping, look for products explicitly stating that they and their ingredients are not tested on animals, or that carry the humane cosmetics ‘leaping bunny' logo to be sure they are cruelty-free.

Sport and Leisure

Sadly, some people in our society consider it acceptable to exploit and kill animals in the name of leisure and sport. Despite the ban, many hunts continue to kill foxes, deer and hares, and every year the game bird industry breeds more than 40 million pheasants and partridges to be shot. And it's not just the obvious blood sports that cause animal suffering. Horse racing may be appear to be harmless, yet more than 400 horses are raced to death every year. Only 40 per cent of horses bred for racing go on to compete, and many of those who don't make the grade are slaughtered for meat to be consumed abroad. Please do not fund this cruel industry by betting on or attending races.

Clothing

Compassionate people are horrified by the thought of animals being farmed and killed for their fur. And it's easy to see why. Naturally wild animals are confined in tiny cages for their entire lives. They are prevented from carrying out normal social behaviour, and suffer severe psychological problems as a result of extreme anxiety and fear.