Leaping Bunny certification celebrates its 15th birthday

In 1996, the Leaping Bunny, an international certification to help consumers identify products that had not been tested on animals, was established. 15 years later, the Leaping Bunny trademark is as popular as ever and has been stamped on products made by over 400 companies and sold around the world. The certification is managed in each region by a coalition of animal organisations – in the UK the scheme is managed by the BUAV, in Europe by the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments, and in the USA and Canada by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics.

The Leaping Bunny trademark symbolises the international certification which is the gold standard for cosmetics and household products not tested on animals. Only companies certified under the  Humane Standards submit to regular thorough audits to ensure products and ingredients are free from animal testing.

Look out for the Leaping Bunny when shopping or visit www.GoCrueltyFree.org where you can search the list of products from over 400 certified companies and brands which are already free from animal testing.

Michelle Thew, Chief Executive of the BUAV and ECEAE spoke of her pride in the certification: “I am immensely proud of the work we have carried out during the last 15 years to establish a global certification which enables consumers to make an informed choice when looking for products which aren’t tested on animals. During that time the Leaping Bunny has gone from strength to strength, giving consumers the choice of hundreds of certified companies worldwide.”

“There is absolutely no need to inflict suffering on animals for cosmetic, personal care and household products. By committing to use only products approved with the Leaping Bunny mark, consumers are helping to send a strong message to companies – that not testing on animals is best for business as well as ethics. Next year we hope to harness that same public will and finally end animal testing for new cosmetics sold in Europe with our petition at www.NoCruelCosmetics.org.”

NOTES:

1. The certification is managed in each region by a coalition of animal organisations – in the UK the scheme is managed by the BUAV, in Europe by the European Coalition to End Animal Experiments, and in the USA and Canada by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics.

2. Companies certified under the Humane Standards adopt a ‘fixed cut-off date’ after which no ingredients in their products can be tested on animals by the company or its suppliers. The companies are then regularly audited by an independent party to authenticate their continued use of the Leaping Bunny. This robust process ensures that neither the product nor, crucially, any of its ingredients have been tested on animals at any stage of the manufacturing cycle since a company’s fixed cut-off date.