Animal welfare charity the Scottish SPCA has sold £600,000 of shares in oil giant Royal Dutch Shell, which has admitted it tests products on animals.
British-Dutch firm Shell has admitted experiments on animals including rabbits, rodents, birds and fish.
After receiving some criticism for its investment in the firm, SSPCA has now announced it has sold all its shares in the company following a review of the charity’s investment portfolio.
In a statement, SSPCA chief executive Kirsteen Campbell said the charity had not bought shares in the oil firm for over 12 years.
She said: “The majority of the shares we held in Royal Dutch Shell were donated or left to us by supporters in their wills in order for the society to generate future income.”
Campbell said the charity does not invest in any companies that carry out animal testing for cosmetic purposes but recognises that some testing is necessary.
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“We accept that some animal testing is required for regulatory reasons, or for the development of drugs for the purpose of treating life threatening and debilitative diseases in animals and humans.
“The society will not invest in companies that use wild-caught animals as part of their testing process.
“Where animal testing is required for regulatory purposes all testing facilities used must be accredited by a recognised body. We strongly support the humane animal research guiding principles of replace, reduce and refine.”
Campbell took up her role this month after the charity's previous full-time chief executive Stuart Earley quit last year following media criticism of his wages, reported as more than £200,000.
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