Ricky Gervais Urges Americans to End Cosmetics Testing on Animals

While British actor and comedian, Ricky Gervais, may be well-known for his hit television series “The Office,” which spun off into separate shows in the U.S., France, Sweden, Germany, and Canada, Gervais is also known for his vocal Support of animal protection initiatives.

Named PETA’s Person of the Year in 2013, Gervais is a long-time animal lover and often takes to Twitter to voice his outrage of how we treat animals today.

Not long ago, Gervais spoke out about the torture of puppies in U.K. labs after the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection came out with a new undercover investigation showing the cruelty and pain young animals endured before being put to death in the name of science.

Now, Gervais is again standing up for animals in labs by joining the Humane Society of the United States’ (HSUS) Be Cruelty-Free USA campaign, which aims to ban cosmetics animal testing and the sale of cosmetics tested on animals in the U.S.

Gervais’ home country of Great Britain has already outlawed cosmetics testing on animals through a European Union-initiated ban. However, Gervais believes more progress needs to be made around the world.

“Rabbits and rodents forced to endure toxic cosmetics testing in U.S. laboratories, have no one to speak up for them but us. So I urge all Americans to be their voice, support the Humane Cosmetics Act, and make the U.S. the next cruelty-free cosmetics zone,” said Gervais.

The act that Gervias is speaking of is a new historic piece of legislation under the bill number H.R. 4148, which was brought up by Reps. Jim Moran (D-VA) and Michael Grimm (R-NY) with the help of the HSUS.

According to the HSUS, if passed, the bill will:

• Make it unlawful for anyone to conduct or commission cosmetic animal testing in the U.S.
• Prohibit selling, offering for sale, or transporting any cosmetics in interstate commerce if the final product or any component was developed or manufactured using animal testing.

Stand with Gervis and other stars including Jenna Dewan Tatum, Kesha, Paul McCartney, Michael Vartan, Colbie Caillet, Bellamy Young, Pauley Parrette, Kaley Cuoco, and Torrey Devitto in urging your legislators to Support and become co-sponsors of the Humane Cosmetics Act or H.R. 4148. Sign this petition today to lend your voice to lab animals across the U.S. and then contact your elected officials directly to provide even more ammunition for the bill’s passage.

Image source: djtomdog / Flickr