20 May 2004

MEDIA RELEASE

Clothesline of shame against animal testing

Procter & Gamble's dirty laundry hung out

Procter & Gamble, one of the world's largest known animal testers of cosmetic and household products will have their dirty laundry publicly exposed in central Auckland and Christchurch to highlight cruel experimental procedures performed on animals.

On Saturday, 22 May, New Zealand will join international protests against Procter & Gamble's crude animal-testing policy. Cruelty-free campaigners from SAFE will hang blood splattered sheets on specially erected clotheslines while displaying messages against Procter & Gamble¹s product testing methods.

"SAFE's clotheslines of shame demonstrate to the public that companies who continue to conduct animal testing cannot hide their crude and painful procedures. Procter & Gamble subjects animals to harmful and often lethal experiments. An estimated 50 000 animals die at the hands of Procter & Gamble every year. A recent undercover investigation identified shocking experiments involving rats and dogs," says SAFE's Campaign Director Hans Kriek.

"In one case, over 400 young rats were either castrated or forced through premature puberty through sex hormone injections. The rats were repeatedly injected with gender-altering chemicals that shrunk their sex organs. After three weeks, all the animals were killed by neck dislocation, and their bodies and genitalia dismembered to be weighed and analysed."

It is understood Procter & Gamble has been under scrutiny from scientists who have criticised these kinds of tests, pointing to "major scientific problems" with interpreting the results, and noting "severe animal welfare concerns" due to "complicated procedures and repeated injections".

SAFE is calling on consumers to choose only cruelty-free products thereby not supporting cruel animal product testing.

"If consumers stop buying Procter & Gamble products then this company will have no choice other than to abandon its cruel animal-testing practices."

SAFE's cruelty-free campaigners will simultaneously erect the clotheslines at 12 noon, 22 May, in central Auckland and Christchurch city areas.

ENDS

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