"This finished product has not been tested on animals."

“Don’t rely too much on labels, for too often they are fables.”

 - Charles H. Spurgeon

Top of the morning to you!  May you be blessed with a productive, pleasant and positive day.

If you’ll allow Chucky to jump up onto his soap box today, I promise not to be too long.  There’s one label that I see in my life that somewhat gives me an eerie feeling.  I keep seeing the words, “This finished product has not been tested on animals.”  Specifically, I see it on my pocket-sized bottles of Yankee Candle Company odor eliminating sprays.

As found on label from Yankee Candle Company Odor Eliminating spray

I like to carry it with me inside the bathroom facilities where I work.  Without getting graphic and without offending anyone, let’s just say that at least one of my co-workers leaves quite a strong “effervescence” behind as they part the facilities.  Guess who sometimes thinks that he’s always the lucky individual to follow this person into the privy?  But ~ I dawdle.

I keep reading these words written upon the spray containers.  It bothers me.  Is this a good thing?  Or, is this a bad thing? 

I did a little Googling and it was not of much help.  In some instances it appears to be a declaration of animal cruelty-free.  But, in other instances, some think of it as a nasty ploy allowing a corporation to shirk their responsibilities believing these words having the underlying meaning, “Hey!  We didn’t have anything to do with lab testing those animals!”

As much as I would like to think that there is significant meaning to these words, I tend to read a marketing tool.  After all, if they were serious would there not be a caveat similar to, “and we make every effort possible to assure that our suppliers do the same.”?

Credit:  http://en.wikipedia.org

Source:  http://www.genome.gov/pressDisplay.cfm?photoID=8

Author:  Robyn Shaw, Spring Valley Laboratories, Inc.

Just saying…

I’ve always held that human beings are amongst the most moronic and least intelligent creatures on Earth.  Think about it.  We supposedly have the unique intelligence amongst living creatures to make conscious decision, to learn, and to grow our mental capacities.  Yet we elect to mistreat and annihilate our fellow planetary creatures.  Subjecting defenseless animals to acts that none of us would ever wish to be treated, let alone accept that these acts occur to our exclusive benefit.

If no equivalent test measures are available then I say fore go your testing.  Nothing is important enough to treat another creature differently than each of us wishes to be treated.  I think that it’s safe to say that most human beings do not believe in reincarnation or we certainly would not behave the ways which we do.

I’m not innocent by any means.  I’ve eaten more than my share of animal flesh, hunted game in the past, and abused creatures for no practical purpose.  But, that was then and now is now.  When my time comes and I leave this world I can at least say that I did but my own little part.  Pray be that I am not reincarnated as a lab rabbit, lab monkey, or farm animal!

These paragraphs are just my two-cent (uh… er… twenty-five cents).  I’ll get off of my soap box now and allow some of you to fester upon my words.  However you believe, I do sincerely thank you for allowing me to express my opinion.  Yours is nonetheless important and I can acknowledge this.

Hey!  Don’t like my words?  Care to share a different angle?  Beg to challenge my interpretation of those words?  Please feel free to share your comments hereon.  I truly encourage it.

In closing, I only pray that The Yankee Candle Company's suppliers are as compassionate as they.  Hmm... what are those odds?  No... don't answer that please.  Not knowing, not caring to know and not trying to know make me human.

Hi-dee hi-dee whew-that-was-a-load-off-of-my-plastic-bubble-headed-mind-ho my friend.