Bill Banning Animal Testing Successfully Passed in Canada

On Thursday, the Senate approved Bill C-47, signaling a significant milestone in ending cosmetic testing on animals and related trade.

For numerous years, advocates for animal protection have tirelessly campaigned for a complete prohibition on animal testing and a transition towards non-animal alternatives.

Michael Bernard, the deputy director of the Humane Society International/Canada, expressed immense joy, stating, “We are incredibly delighted to witness the passage of this groundbreaking legislation in Canada.”

Collaboratively, the Humane Society International/Canada, Animal Alliance Canada, and Cruelty Free International, in partnership with Cosmetics Alliance Canada, Lush Cosmetics, and The Body Shop, have been actively engaged with the Canadian government in their efforts to bring about legislative changes that would ban the testing of cosmetics on animals.

By enacting this legislation, Canada will now align itself with more than 40 jurisdictions and prominent markets that have already implemented laws to either completely cease or restrict animal testing and sales of cosmetics.

Bernard highlighted the unfortunate history of subjecting rabbits, mice, guinea pigs, and rats to various forms of cosmetic testing, such as skin and eye irritation experiments, force-feeding, and lethal dose tests. However, he also emphasized that while such practices still persist in certain regions worldwide, the cosmetic industry has displayed proactive leadership by collaborating with organizations like theirs to drive innovation and explore alternative approaches.

The Body Shop, a company renowned for its commitment to cruelty-free products, has consistently upheld ethical standards by refraining from any form of animal testing. As a prominent retailer, they have actively collaborated with Cruelty Free International in advocating against cosmetic animal testing.

In line with their campaign endeavors, The Body Shop has successfully gathered a remarkable count of over 625,000 signatures. These signatures were then presented to Parliament, serving as a powerful demonstration of public support for ending animal testing within the cosmetics industry.

“By 2019, we had 925,000 signed petitions by our consumers and teams. And here we are! We are quite excited,” said Donna MacNair, district manager for the Body Shop Canada.

“It’s nice that we’re going to be on the same playing field with companies that believe in what we’ve started, and what we’ve finished and will continue on,” MacNair said.

According to Bernard, cosmetic manufacturers are increasingly utilizing alternative methods such as artificial skins, cornea models, in-vitro assays, and organs-on-chip technology, which serve as viable alternatives to animal testing.

Darren Praznik, the president and CEO of Cosmetic Alliance Canada, acknowledged the significance of this bill as a symbolic gesture. He stated, “It is an important step as it brings Canada into alignment with over 40 nations that have already implemented such legislation. Moreover, it creates momentum for expanding non-animal testing methods across various sectors.”

While Praznik considers the passing of the new bill a victory, he also recognizes that there is still work to be done in order to completely eliminate toxicity testing on animals. This underscores the ongoing commitment required to advance alternative testing methods and prioritize animal welfare.

“There is still a lot of animals used in other sectors and for other purposes, particularly the environmental side. I think this is part of a growing wave to find non -animal alternatives for non-toxicological testing,” said Praznik.