Cruelty-Free 101: Leaping Bunny vs. PETA

The Leaping Bunny vs. PETA: both have lists of cruelty-free cosmetics and household product brands, but one is more reliable than the other. You might notice that the Leaping Bunny’s list is considerably smaller than PETA’s. This is because the Leaping Bunny, the only internationally recognized certification organization for cruelty-free brands, is way more selective: while PETA only requires written agreement from a company (see image), the Leaping Bunny requires that the company agrees to independent audits. This means they actually verify if the claims are true.

From PETA.org (source):

From LeapingBunny.org (source):

If a particular brand is on the Leaping Bunny’s list, it should be safe to say that the company is truly cruelty-free. However, since applying for the program is done on a voluntary basis, this cruelty-free list isn’t exhaustive. Many companies, while not being certified, can be cruelty-free (see “Tips on buying cruelty-free” for a list of questions to ask uncertified companies). In my opinion, while PETA’s database of cruelty-free brands is filled with good intentions, it’s not reliable due to the lack of any investigation and tangible proof. On the other hand, the Leaping Bunny makes a far better effort to ensure that a company is truly cruelty-free. What’s your take on this issue?