Animal experiments in the UK
Nearly 3 million experiments are carried out on animals in the UK each year.
Animal testing is still carried out for many day-to-day products including some household product ingredients, medicines, vaccine development, industrial chemicals, foods and even some cosmetic ingredients.
Despite the fact that animal studies aren’t a reliable indicator of how a drug or chemical will work in people, a staggering 2.64 million experiments were carried out on animals in Great Britain in 2024.
Thousands of sentient creatures suffer and die in British laboratories every day. We don’t know what life is really like for these animals because Section 24 of the Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 – the so-called ‘Secrecy Clause’ – keeps it quiet.
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The story so far…
How far we've come…
We are a key partner of the Welfare and Protection Stakeholder Group that meets with the Home Office regularly to hold them accountable.
In 2023, we celebrated 30 years of helping ethical shoppers find cruelty-free brands in our Compassionate Shopping Guide.
We’ve been campaigning for better transparency in animal testing so that the public can know all the facts.
In 2025, we released A Tail of Two Dogs, an animated film exposing the stark contrast between a family beagle’s life and one used in laboratory testing.
Next steps…
How you can help
There are lots of ways to help with our work, from making a donation through to holding fundraising events or even getting involved as a volunteer. Below, you can explore the different ways to help us continue raising standards for animals.
Share your story and photos to help us celebrate the powerful bond between people and their animals.
This simple step would reduce harm to wildlife. Help us deliver this message directly to retailers who can make a real difference.
Millions of animals bred for research are never used and their fate goes unrecorded.
Urge your MP to stand up for these forgotten victims.
UK wildlife is under threat, yet crimes against it are treated as minor offences. Urgent legal reform is needed.
Join us in telling your local MP why a change in law is vital to protect our wildlife.
Join us in asking the UK Government to finally end animal testing for all everyday household products.
Unethical extreme designer pet trends are pushing cats and kittens to the limit.
Join us in calling for extreme cat breeding to be banned across the UK.
Your support helps us protect wildlife and tackle cruelty. Every donation makes a real impact.
Take part in a way that works for you, whether volunteering, fundraising or donating items, and help create a kinder future for animals.
