630,436-signature petition against animal testing of cosmetics presented to Canada's Parliament - largest ever.

The Body Shop Canada and Cruelty Free International team up with animal lovers and their pets to march on Parliament Hill and deliver the largest petition since the campaign to create the Canadian Bill of Rights in 1949.

OTTAWA, May 28, 2018 /CNW/ - Canada's pet lovers and their animals are marching on Parliament Hill today to deliver the largest petition in over seventy years. Their goal is to convince the Government of Canada to ban the sale and manufacture of animal-tested cosmetic products in Canada. Organized by the international retailer, The Body Shop, in partnership with Cruelty Free International, the march and six hundred and forty thousand signature petition-drive demand that Canada join the European Union, Israel, India, Turkey, Israel, Norway, Iceland, Serbia, and Switzerland - all of which have enacted similar legislation.

"We are very proud that our staff and customers have taken up this cause," said Toby Milton, General Manager, The Body Shop Canada. "We hope Parliament and the Government of Canada sees this as proof that the time to act is now. No animal should be harmed in the name of cosmetics. The practice is outdated, cruel and unnecessary."

The march will begin at 11:30am at the Sparks Street Mall. The animal lovers and their pets will then walk to Parliament Hill for a media conference and presentation of the petitions to Members of Parliament at 12:30pm.  According to the Clerk of Petitions in Ottawa, the largest federal petition on record was submitted to then MP John Diefenbaker to support the creation of Canada's Bill of Rights in 1949. It had 625,510 names signed to it. The Body Shop's petition to ban cosmetic animal testing has 630,542 Canadian signatures from across the country.

Cruelty Free International estimates that more than 500,000 animals are still used worldwide in cosmetics testing each year. Current animal tests include dermal toxicity tests where a substance is applied to the shaved skin of a rat, guinea pig or rabbit, and covered with a patch to keep them from licking or otherwise removing the substance. These animals are never given pain relief during these tests, and in the end, they're almost always killed.

Milton said, "There are many internationally recognized alternatives to animal testing. These are not only more effective but less expensive to conduct."

In 1989, The Body Shop became the first international beauty brand to campaign against the practice of animal testing in cosmetics. In partnership with Cruelty Free International, this action led the way to a European Union-wide ban on cosmetic animal testing in 2013.

"Cruelty Free International has been working with governments around the world to phase out animal testing for cosmetics," said Monica Engebretson North America Campaign Manager for Cruelty Free International. "We know firsthand that industry, consumers, and animals all benefit from an end to animal testing for cosmetics. The time is right for Canada to take this step."

Milton said, "Canada risks falling behind many of its international peers if it does not act immediately. Furthermore, in countries where the ban has been enacted, the cosmetic industry has continued to thrive. If the Canadian cosmetics industry wishes to sell its products in the European Union, it must demonstrate that all ingredients have not been tested on animals."

The Body Shop was founded in 1976 by Anita Roddick where she began a movement that came to be known as ethical consumerism. This philosophy has shaped the company since its inception and includes commitments to generating positive economic, social and environmental impact through actions such as using traceable and sustainably sourced ingredients, innovating in packaging, promoting fair trade with suppliers and rejecting animal testing. In 2017, the Brazilian-based sustainable cosmetics company, Natura, purchased The Body Shop from its then parent company L'Oréal. 

For more information and to sign the petition to end the sale of animal-tested cosmetics, go to: www.ForeverAgainstAnimalTesting.com.

SOURCE The Body Shop

Please contact Ted Griffith, Campbell Strategies, [email protected], 416 518 8306