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Ten Fast Facts about Compassionate Consumerism

1. No commercial venture can survive without customers. This means that consumers have the power, through their purchasing decisions, to make a difference in the way companies — and even entire industries — conduct their business.

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2. Animals are cruelly exploited in a variety of commercial ventures, including the entertainment; cosmetics, personal care, and household products; food; and fashion industries, as well as the pet trade.
3. In pet stores, animals must be viewed as commodities in order for the store to realize a profit. This means that animals are too often kept in inadequate conditions and denied needed medical care. (Learn more in Born Free united with API’s Little Shops of Sorrows campaign.)
4. Most animals sold in pet shops are not protected by the federal Animal Welfare Act. Some states have laws that address the care and treatment of animals kept in a retail environment, but these laws vary widely in quality and scope.
5. Countless animals are used every year to test consumer products ranging from lipstick to shaving cream to oven cleaner. But due to consumer demand for products not tested on animals, compassionate alternatives exist! Find out more »
6. Although many labels claim that products weren’t tested on animals, such claims may be misleading. Learn what product labels really mean.
7. Europe is leading the way to ending the use of animals in cosmetic testing and banning the sale of cosmetics and similar products tested on animals. There is no excuse for other countries, including the United States, not to follow this compassionate example.
8. Every year, more than 40 million fur-bearing animals are violently killed in the name of “fashion.” Consumers can make a difference by refusing to buy items containing fur or fur trim.
9. The fur industry works hard to disguise the true, cruel origin of its products by making fur look like anything other than what it truly is: dead animal parts. Learn how you can tell real fur from faux when shopping.
10. More than 10 billion land animals are slaughtered for human consumption in the U.S. each year. By making compassionate choices about what we eat, we can reduce animal suffering every day.