This holiday season, the BUAV is urging shoppers to show goodwill to all animals by giving gifts that are not tested on animals.

Shoppers can avoid cruel animal tests by only buying products bearing the Leaping Bunny logo, the internationally-recognised gold standard that guarantees products are cruelty-free.

Many people are unaware that animals including rabbits and guinea pigs, continue to suffer and die in cruel tests for our toiletries. Despite UK and EU bans on animal tests for cosmetics, many products available in UK high street stores have been animal tested in other parts of the world.

Cruelty-free shopping has never been easier. Nearly 500 companies are certified under the Leaping Bunny scheme, providing a huge selection of festive gifts for both men and women. Gifts that are free from animal testing are marked with the Leaping Bunny logo and are available from cruelty-free companies such as The Body Shop, Marks & Spencer, Argos, Superdrug, the Co-operative and Sainsbury’s. A full list of companies certified under the Leaping Bunny scheme is available at gocrueltyfree.org.

Michelle Thew, BUAV chief executive, Crane Grove, London