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Editorial
In this issue, we have once again unmasked the cruel conditions pertaining at animal labs, all supposedly monitored by ethics committees including members of the SPCA's. It is also evident that all is not well at the slaughterhouses such as Eskort, all of which are supposedly monitored by inspectors. Eskort, of course, denies that the cruelties took place at their facility. Interesting is the rather luke-warm response of Woolworths, who admitted that seven months had lapsed between their monitoring visits.
Woolworths claims to adhere to ethical standards as far as animal cruelty is concerned, and yet they refuse to fill in SAAV's questionnaire which will determine whether they measure up to the International Compassionate Standard for cosmetic and household products, preferring instead to embrace the weak guideline of the RSPCA, which is not accepted by the world-wide anti-vivisectionist movement and certainly not by SAAV. Instead, they continue to stock products like as Dove and Colgates, rather than cruelty-free alternatives such as Like Silk and Dentazyme.
In his book Rain Without Thunder Professor Francione, Professor of Law at Rutgers University, explores the modern animal rights (AR) movement in America. This thought provoking book enables one to see how the animal welfare movement has come to reaffirm the basic underpinnings of animal exploitation, even adopting their terminology, the rhetoric of exploiters of animals!
This is why SAAV adheres to the International Compassionate Standard. A product is either cruelty-free or it is not. There are no grey areas. SAAV will not fall into the trap of being accorded acceptance on condition of silence. There is too much of that about in the animal welfare movement.
Woolworths has shown the way with their banning of battery eggs and introducing free-range chicken products. Perhaps this will now be extended to free-range pork products and include proper and unannounced, adequate monitoring of the slaughterhouses. This compassion should also extend to the cosmetics they carry.
After all, Woolworths derives a certain amount of status and profits from their
marketing platform of 'caring for animals.'
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