There are so many products out there that are tested on animals that I think we have lost count and we don’t even notice them at the supermarket or our local store. More importantly, we have lost the sense of caring about it and we no longer even ask about it or take the time to look at a label to know about it. Some years ago it was trend topic but now, it has lost all its boost and fashion that surrounded the whole passing trend.
Image courtesy of AnimaNaturalis at Flickr.com
But there is someone out there that still cares. There is someone out there that still cares about how we test our products in order for them to be used by humans. Yes, there is somebody and that somebody is called NAVS (the National Anti-Vivisection Society). They have been around for quite a while trying to advocate for those animal rights that nobody even sees.
First, let’s understand what vivisection section is and then we continue with this amazing charity institution. Vivisection is when people use a sharp object or technique to cut a live animal or when invasive techniques are used on animals that are being tested or used in research. The part of the word “vivi” comes from the Latin word Vivus which means alive and it is very common in the experimentation with animals.
Now, let’s talk about the people who care about this issue and that advocate for all those animals: NAVS. NAVS was founded in 1929 as the National Anti-Vivisection Society (NAVS) and their mission was clear: a better and more humane science for animals by promoting other type of methods that have more positive outcomes and that could replace cruel, costly and flawed animal experiments. They didn’t want to end research, they wanted to make it modern, safe, innovative and less cruel for animals.
NAVS works directly with the scientists community, the government and the academic community in order to develop and implement smarter and more relevant research methods. They also founded the International Foundation for Ethical Research (IFER) and many other ventures and charities that aim at the same objective. NAVS also supports technology as a way to educate people about life sciences and to make it fun and educational, humane, safer, cost-effective and without using animal dissection. They provide positive incentives at science fairs for those who do not use animals in their projects and give them positive retribution when interested in such side of science.
Image courtesy of Will at Flickr.com
Another thing that NAVS does is to provide information on legislation on how animals can be used for experiments so people, institutions, and related groups can take action with more accurate information. NAVS also has a Sanctuary Fund that takes care of those animals affected by natural disasters or that have immediate emergencies.
Some of the ways they engage in their objective are the following:
Promote Cruelty-Free Shopping
This goes more than 30 years back since they published the “Personal Care with Principle” shopping guide in 1985. Then they had the Personal Care for People Who Care publication which has made them a very credible source of information when it comes to companies that have or don’t have practices that include animal research.
As for today, they have the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics (CCIC) which has a very recognized program called the Leaping Bunny. This program gives a certificate to companies that don’t use animals for research or testing in any of the phases of their product cycle or with any of the people involved in the supply chain or distribution channels. The program also works towards making it easier for people to find cosmetics, personal care and household products that have the certification by providing a list or guide that can be seen in smartphones and in PDF format.
Do follow-ups to Laws and Legislation
NAVS found out that most of the problems many people and institutions have come from the lack of information on the matter. The legal system is an ocean of information that not everybody can navigate so easily. NAVS provides for those who are willing or have to navigate the legal and legislative system with updated information about animal law issues. They target people such as elected officials, concerned individuals, attorneys, judges, law students and many professionals around the matter.
NAVS understood the power of connecting people towards an issue in the 1920s. They still do it with special publications and by helping with money, logistics or anything available when it comes to organizing events that address contemporary animal law issues. They also use the internet and they created the Animal Law Resource Center that provides updated information on all the issues and decisions made towards animal laws.
Be sure to also read this post about The Outstanding job of the Jewish Federation of Greater Indianapolis
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