14 DAY TRIAL // Companies in the state of Sao Paulo in Brazil now have one very good reason to stop testing cosmetics, perfumes and personal care products on animals. This reason is their risking a fine of $435,000 (€317,950) per animal if found guilty of carrying out such tests.
What's more, those who continue performing tests on animals despite being caught in the act once are liable to doubled fines, and, in some extreme cases, authorities can demand that the institution they run be shut down.
Thus, Inhabitat tells us that, in an attempt to fight back animal cruelty, the state has issued a ban forbidding companies to check how well the products they make and sell perform by testing them on defenseless creatures.
According to the same source, this ban was set in place after activists, scientists, vets and representatives of the cosmetics and perfume industries operating in the country met with Governor Geraldo Alckmin and agreed that said products could be tested without abusing animals.
Interestingly enough, it would appear that the State of Paulo came to institute this ban after a protest that occurred just last year. As reported at that time, this protest boiled down to some animal rights activists' breaking into a laboratory, and freeing about 200 abused dogs.