American Anti-Vivisection Society

Activities include leading, effective, legal advocacy to help animals in labs, and informative publications providing unique insights and analysis, to empower members with the tools to be effective advocates themselves. A major success in 2022 was achieving usda's publication of draft regulations to regulate birds covered by the animal welfare act, as a result of aavs's lawsuit. Aavs provided leadership and coordination for animal protection organizations' submission of comments on the draft, urging strengthened protections. A 4-page bi-monthly newsletter and a monthly online newsletter distributed to over 25,000 members and supporters provide timely, reliable information and action alerts on topics including innovative non-animal alternative research methods, new policies and laws regarding animal testing for cosmetics, and trade in primates sold for biomedical research. The av magazine for 2022 highlighted the often-overlooked topic of extreme harm to aquatic animals, including in scientific research, with expert authors writing on legal, scientific, and advocacy subjects. Grants to sanctuaries, for care of animals released from labs, were more important than ever in 2022, including aavs contributions to sanctuaries taking in dozens of chimpanzees in urgent need of relocation after a California facility in a high-risk fire zone closed. Many sanctuaries had increased costs and decreased donations, so aavs awarded additional funding specifically for veterinary care. An annual grant was also made to provide lifetime care for young chimpanzees released from a lab when babies, now living at chimp haven.

Aavs manages the leaping bunny program of the coalition for consumer information on cosmetics (ccic), which is chaired by aavs president sue leary. The leaping bunny program provides a highly valued and trusted service for compassionate consumers who wish to avoid products tested on animals. Through its cruelty-free standard and the internationally recognized leaping bunny logo, the program certifies companies producing cruelty-free cosmetic, personal care and household products. The list of over 2400 certified companies is publicly available at no cost on leapingbunny.org and in apps for smartphones. The program conducts annual recommitments and audits on selected companies to ensure compliance with the standard. A notable achievement in 2022 was the launch of the leaping bunny china qualification program, requiring companies to have any registrations in china audited by ccic-selected experts to assure that no animal testing is conducted to satisfy that country's complicated regulatory system. Consumers are informed through very active and engaging social media, and a popular monthly online newsletter. Program staff regularly serve as a reliable, respected resource for media, and are regularly interviewed on the topic of animal testing for cosmetics.

Animalearn works to end vivisection and dissection in the classroom, advocating and promoting humane science education policy. Its highly-regarded free lending library, the science bank, provides effective, non-animal alternatives for all grades, from elementary school through advanced training for health professionals. Aavs invested in significant improvements in order fulfillment in 2022 with increased borrowing as a result. Animalearn staff hosts demonstrations at educator conferences, exposing thousands of teachers and school administrators to innovative alternatives. Authoritative materials educate on the harms of animal use in science education, including environmental, health, and long-term costs.outstanding humane educators and students were publicly recognized by animalearn and presented with awards of non-animal dissection alternatives in 2022. Animalearn continued its philly schools partnership program, launched in 2020, to outfit and support science classes in two under-resourced schools in philadelphia with top technology to provide the highest quality life science education alternatives.