Green Mountain Animal Defenders opposes the use of animals for experimentation, consumer product testing, and dissection. We advocate for alternatives due to the severe torture and suffering animals experience, and because many tests are biologically irrelevant and potentially harmful to humans.

Animals are in fact tortured in laboratories. Thousands of captive dogs, cats, mice, guinea pigs, rabbits, and primates suffer as chemicals are fed, injected, applied, or otherwise forced into their bodies to test the safety of makeup, detergents, cleaning agents, and medicines. Animals are also burned, bludgeoned, and cut open for human practice and observation.

"One animal dies in a laboratory in the United States every second, in Japan every two seconds, and in the United Kingdom every 12 seconds." - British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection

A side effect of animal torture is desensitization. Respected primate researcher Jane Goodall points out that students forced to exploit animals become desensitized to inflicting and observing suffering.

The results are in fact often unreliable. Tests rarely mimic the way humans use the products — for example, in one test animals were forced to ingest hair dye. Obvious genetic differences between humans and other mammals also make many test results unreliable.

"Nine out of 10 drugs that appear promising in animal studies go on to fail in human clinical trials." - American Anti-Vivisection Society

Alternatives are available. As universities, research facilities, and corporations start listening to consumer demand for methods that are free of animal testing, alternatives are being introduced. These include human cell cultures, the use of live human tissue, and lifelike computer models that have been found to be effective teaching tools.

We are helping by educating members of the public so they can be conscientious consumers and joining campaigns that promote humane alternatives.

What Can You Do to Help?

Educate yourself and others:

• Animal Experimentation FAQ (Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine)

• Problems with Animal Research (American Anti-Vivisection Society)

• Animals in Science (National Anti-Vivisection Society)

• Animals in Education (National Anti-Vivisection Society)

• Animal Law Research Guide (Vermont Law School)

Encourage universities, companies, and other organizations to end all animal testing.

Support companies and institutions that use only non-animal research methods.

Buy cruelty-free. Are each of the products you use cruelty-free? If not, contact the producer and ask them to stop testing on animals:

• Cruelty-Free Product Search (National Anti-Vivisection Society)

• Compassionate Shopping Guide (Leaping Bunny)

Support only charities that don't use animals.