Oxnard : Animal-Testing Foes Picket Procter Plant

Carrying signs with sayings such as “Imagine . . . A Cruelty Free Procter & Gamble,” along with pictures of bloodied animals, about 40 activists protested Tuesday outside Procter & Gamble’s Oxnard plant.

Aside from a few honks from passing cars, the demonstration was quiet and peaceful. Although no arrests were made locally, six people were arrested in Cincinnati, Ohio, during Tuesday’s national demonstration. Animal rights groups converged at 13 Procter & Gamble locations nationwide to coincide with the company shareholders’ meeting in Cincinnati.

“We’re against Procter & Gamble’s completely useless destruction of animals,” said Dorothy Done, an Oxnard animal rights activist. “And we’re calling for them to stop this cruel, pointless and outdated practice. There have been so many scientific studies done that show you cannot extrapolate results from animal testing to humans.”

Results from alternative methods such as cell cultures, chemical tests and computer modeling have been much more reliable, Done said, adding that more than 200 makers of household products and cosmetics rely on alternatives to animal testing.

But Robert Paulger, a public relations representative for Procter & Gamble, which makes household items such as Tide detergent and Crest toothpaste, said all the animal testing the company does is necessary to ensure safe products.

“With all the controversy concerning animal testing, we would love to use an alternative method whenever possible, but many times tests on animals are the only safe and reliable means,” he said.

This is the third animal rights demonstration held at the Oxnard Procter & Gamble plant in the last year, Done said. “This is the only place we hold protests because it’s the only place in the county we know of that performs tests on animals.”