If you’re like me, you sort of scrunch your face up or roll your eyes and switch to something else when you see anything about animal testing.

No one could possibly still be forcing monkeys to wear makeup and shoving chemicals down bunnies’ throats, could they? Well, not only is it still happening, but it’s worse than I thought.

I’m not going to start berating you with awful stories and mental images, while Sarah McLachlan sings Arms of an Angel softly in the background of your brain, but we are going to dip our toes into this very deep subject.

Photo Credit: OK Pet Project

The National Anti-Vivisection Society is an American company founded in the 20s which promotes solutions to replace animal testing, and they’ve done their research.

According to their numbers collected from the USDA, as late as 2016, there were nearly 61,000 dogs used for “research, testing, teaching, or experimentation.”

Although our neighbours don’t collect information on the breeds of dogs being used, NAVS obtained data using the Freedom of Information Act and found golden retrievers, labs, greyhounds, pit bulls, schnauzers, with the most used dog being beagles.

In fact, this type of dog is used so much, an entire rescue organization has been dedicated to helping the breed.

Photo Credit: OK Pet Project

These pups don’t get to go live the good life, and I’ll spare you the details as I think most of us understand the “cruelty” implied is a lot more intense than dressing your dog for Halloween in a ridiculous costume and laughing while they try to get the dinosaur off their back.

I know this is a lot of stats coming at you quick, and you’re probably thinking that they are isolated to the United States. While this is true, consider where your products come from.

You guessed it – the States.

Photo Credit: OK Pet Project

I sat down with my good friend, Kaitlyn Dickie, and begged her to help me navigate this information.

Last year, she had this “ah-ha” moment of realizing we are careful about what we eat and aware of the things we give our pets, but products we use every day we just casually don’t care – why?

She set out on a mission to make the switch easy, and to help eliminate the overwhelming feeling for her friends (and now loyal following).

Her biggest and best tip? One thing at a time. Don’t get lost down the proverbial rabbit hole. 

Making the switch to cruelty-free brands doesn’t mean go through your cupboards and burn everything you own. It means as things run out, replace them with something that you will feel a whole lot better about.

A quick brand or product search on https://www.crueltyfreekitty.com/ or https://logicalharmony.net/ will yield you results and reviews from those who have been playing the cruelty-free game longer than the rest of us.

Photo Credit: OK Pet Project

What else can you look for to know if something is cruelty-free or not? Any of the following three rabbit symbols indicate a product is certified cruelty-free (but may not always be present, as it costs companies extra money to have the symbol)!

Bonus? Products that are cruelty-free tend to be made with more natural ingredients and are therefore way better for you. Your skin absorbs what you put on it, so let’s try and remove some chemicals!

Worried about price? Well, it’s your lucky day. There doesn’t tend to be a big price difference.

You can find lots of cruelty-free options right beside your old faves at the grocery store, but if you don’t see something, don’t be scared to ask!

Pro tip: if you’re a closet Winners addict, like me, you can find a ton of options at a discount in their beauty department!

Kaitlyn is always updating her Instagram and website, plus she can find the answer to just about any question you may have regarding cruelty-free products, plant-based diets, and zero-waste tips.

She’s an excellent resource, especially here in the Okanagan where she can point you in the direction of a plethora of cruelty-free products for you, your home, pets, and your loved ones.

Change starts with you! Let's all make some positive changes! 

Don’t forget to check us out on Facebook and Instagram @okpetproject, and, as always, you can read more articles like this on our websitewww.okpetproject.com.