Help us #SendSurvivorsHome by contacting your US Representative
We recently welcomed the reintroduction of the Companion Animal Release from Experiments (CARE) Act, a bill to ensure that taxpayer-funded research facilities across the entire United States implement adoption policies for dogs, cats and rabbits no longer used for research.
To help build critical public support for the bill throughout November, we teamed up with some of the most beloved “animal influencers” to inspire animal-lovers across the US to ask their US Representative to support the CARE Act.
Our animal influencers included dogs Lil Hobbs and Ginny & Minnie, Belarus the Cat and Oreo the Bunny Rabbit who collectively reached a fan base of nearly one million people across TikTok, Instagram and Facebook.
Our Head of Public Affairs in North America, Monica Engebretson, said, “Thanks to the compassionate humans behind these “animal influencers” who provide these furry social media celebrities with loving care every day, we were able to reach their animal-loving followers who might not have otherwise learned about this issue or taken action to help.”
As Oreo the Bunny Rabbit told his followers in one post, “As families come together with the holiday season approaching, Oreo and I want to reach out to everyone one last time and ask for your support for the CARE Act. @crueltyfreeintl is working to help change the lives of animals used in labs. While the fight against animal testing is ongoing, we want to still give the current animals in labs a chance. With over 200,000 animals being used in experiments each year in the US, it’s disheartening to hear that they may be killed and discarded if they are considered no longer useful to the lab. Every animal deserves a loving family like Oreo!”
Belarus the Cat said, “In my home, we believe all creatures big and small, rescued and special, deserve love. That's why we're teaming up with @crueltyfreeintl to spread awareness about the CARE Act.”
One Lil Hobbs post read in part, “Hobbs has an important message to share that is near and dear to his heart. Every year, 64,000 dogs, 18,000 cats, and 145,000 rabbits are used in research experiments in the United States, and many are killed afterward instead of going to a loving home. With your support, this can change!”
And Ginny and Minnie’s people explained to their followers that they were supporting the campaign because, “We want more animals to live the dream that our dogs do every day”.
You can help by asking your US Representative to become a cosponsor of the CARE Act and by promoting the bill on social media using the hashtag #SendSurvivorsHome. You can also show your support with our campaign T-shirts and hoodies.