Today NZAVS and SAFE, with support from LUSH Cosmetics Australasia,  sent a message to decision-makers at Victoria University – that the Forced Swim Test is a cruel and invalid test and its use will not be permitted by caring Kiwis!

Together we took action outside the LUSH Newmarket store in Auckland to publicly encourage Victoria University to ban the Forced Swim Test.   

We set up a human-sized beaker (a dunk tank) and volunteers from the LUSH team turned their passion into action by swimming in the tank to symbolise what animals used in the Forced Swim Test have to go through.

Countless people stopped and observed the action, the consensus was shock and disbelief that such a barbaric and cruel test had been used by Victoria University.

Already over 16,000 people have sent an email to decision-makers at Victoria University and over 700 people took further action over the past week, during our #EndTheForcedSwimTest Online Action Week!

Today even more concerned Kiwis took action by sending a direct message to Victoria University using an iPad set up outside the LUSH store.

It is becoming clear that the longer it takes for the University to ban the Forced Swim Test, the bigger the opposition against the use of this animal test gets!

The awesome team at LUSH Newmarket supported this campaign by raising funds and awareness, and LUSH Australasia have now added their voices to this already loud campaign. It’s time to stop doing this to animals Victoria University!