[PrattFamily]

www.iamscruelty.com
I am an animal lover and this just tore me up. I am now a volunteer for my area. proudly, I will no longer buy any iams or eukanuba products. Please if you read this. Tell others.... I really want to stop this treatment of all these helpless animals..

 

[janiebabes]

I ams

Oh my that is what the breeder told me to feed my pup. Im on my wayt to get a refund! thank you

 

[Ms_P]

Wow

That is horrible!

I will be telling everyone I know NOT to use IAMs products and directing them to that web site.

 

[PrattFamily]

yeah i know its terrible isn't it? I can't believe they can get away with treating all these animals this way.... It is sad that we live in a world that could get away with treating innocent animals with no reguard to there lives.
I hope you guys tell as many people as possible and write iams president an email telling him that you aren't going to buy their products if you can.. These animals are relying on animals lovers like us to help them. There is no excuse for the way these poor dogs, cats, and other animals are being tortured for unnessicary experiments.

 

[NoahFL]

Wow. That site really broke my heart.

 

[PrattFamily]

aww noahFL your chi is SO cute!!!!!

i know isn't it horrible? I wish their was something more I could do then tell people about it.. Like I would love to put the CEO in a cage just for a week with nothing to do and see how he feels! Its like they are in prison.. actually I think its worse, at least in prison you have things to occupy your time, and see and solize.. these animals don't even have that!... no bed even ... GRR i hate iams so much for allowing this treatment to happen..

 

[absolethe]

I mentioned in the other thread that I had contacted them. There are two sides to every story. I have to wonder about this, though, because those pictures would have to come from somewhere--and it would be slander for PETA to assert that they were from IAMS-funded facilities if they weren't.

There is a comment here about "that a human would volunteer to join." That's a serious thing. Researchers really laid down the law on the types of studies that are permitted. Reality TV is actually back-sliding. Studies like the Standford Prison experiment would never happen today, and I don't even think it was that bad.

I think of PETA as a reactionary organization--with good intentions, but reactionary.

So now I really can't believe that either PETA or IAMS is telling the complete truth. Basically because--sure, if IAMS doesn't usually treat animals so horribly, what was up in that one lab? Because I think we can assume that, for the most part, the things PETA asserts happened really did happen.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Dear [email protected]:

Thank you sharing your concerns with us regarding our animal research
policy. I am familiar with the site you referenced and I would like to take
this opportunity to update you on the events that inspired your message.

Early in 2003, an activist group initiated a sensational and misleading
campaign to forcefully persuade Iams not to conduct nutritional studies. The
Iams Company and its employees are passionate about cats and dogs with a
deep commitment to their health and welfare, so we understand how important
this issue is to you. We pledge complete openness on this subject so you can
feel good about feeding your pets a proven product that is compassionately
studied to help dogs and cats live longer and healthier lives.

The Iams mission is to enhance the well-being of dogs and cats by providing
world class nutrition and pet care products. To accomplish this mission for
our customers, we have to know dogs and cats better than anyone. We put that
knowledge into Eukanuba and Iams products that feed an estimated 30 million
pets throughout the world every day, and that's a responsibility we take
very seriously.

We work with dogs and cats to prove that our pet foods provide true
nutritional healthcare. One great example of this is the addition of our
Iams Daily Dental Care to all Iams Dog Food formulas. By studying pets using
this product, we were able to prove that it helps reduce tartar by up to 50
percent, a development that helps address a serious health problem among
more than 85 percent of the world's dogs. These types of feeding studies are
the same kind that a human would volunteer to join, and they are only
conducted within the strict guidelines of a detailed, industry-leading
research policy that we have urged the rest of the industry to adopt. At the
same time, cats and dogs on the Iams team get plenty of exercise and
socialization that includes interaction with other cats and dogs as well as
people.

In addition, we continue to enhance our practices with the help of an
independent seven-member International Animal Care Advisory Board that
includes some of the world's leading experts on animal care, welfare and
ethics.

Further details on our Animal Care Advisory Board (including updates from
the Board), a timeline of the events of the past year, video footage of our
socialization program in action, and our complete Research Policy are
available on our company web site located at www.iamsco.com.

When you visit us online, please take a look at the credentials of our
independent Advisory Board, which includes executives from the ASPCA and the
Humane Society of the United States along with European experts. These
respected individuals have full access to review any facility where Iams is
working with pets, and they will continue to provide us with valued outside
advice. We believe there is no other qualified authority that can better
judge how we care for the dogs and cats in our feeding studies.

To access this information, please copy-and-paste the following URLs to your
web browser. Because links sometimes get distorted through e-mail, please be
sure to copy-and-paste the complete URL to your web browser:

Update on Iams Nutritional Studies (with links to video footage of our
socialization program in action)
http://www.iamsco.com/en_US/jhtmls/iamsco/news/sw_in_News_page.jhtml?li=en_U
S&bc=C&pti=IN&ai=1225

Leading Change
http://www.iamsco.com/en_US/jhtmls/iamsco/news/sw_in_News_page.jhtml?li=en_U
S&bc=C&pti=IN&ai=1386

Animal Care Advisory Board Meets
http://www.iamsco.com/en_US/jhtmls/iamsco/news/sw_in_News_page.jhtml?li=en_U
S&bc=C&pti=IN&ai=1365

Animal Care Advisory Board Site Observations
http://www.iamsco.com/en_US/jhtmls/iamsco/news/sw_in_News_page.jhtml?li=en_U
S&bc=C&pti=IN&ai=1366

Also, you might be interested in these URLs from the ASPCA's web site
(www.aspca.org)

The ASPCA and Iams
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=iamsresearch

Details on the March 4, 2004 site visit
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=iams031104

Details on the April 14, 2003 visit
http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=iams041403

Thank you again for taking the time to contact us and for giving us the
opportunity to respond with the facts. If you need further information or
have specific questions, please visit the web site or contact our Consumer
Care team at 800-525-4267.

Sincerely,
Tina
Iams Consumer Care, North America

 

[absolethe]

Ok, then this pretty much explains it and shows that PETA could have been exaggerating certain things (which I believe they were), and IAMS doesn't quite want to own up to it (which they didn't in their e-mail). At least they sent me a link to several explanations.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ASPCA and Iams

Back to Pet Care and Nutrition



The ASPCA is currently working with the Iams Company on animal testing issues by advising the Iams Company on new research alternatives and by actively participating in unannounced inspections of Iams research sites. The ASPCA currently believes that animal welfare is a high priority for the Iams Company and that they are committed to adhering to their research policy.


Research Site Inspection Reports

March 11, 2004

April 14, 2003




The ASPCA has partnered with the Iams Company in the following areas:

The Iams Company sponsors the ASPCA Pet Nutrition and Science Advisory Service. This service provides unbiased pet nutrition information to pet owners who call or email the service.
The Iams Company and the ASPCA awarded grants to animal shelters across the country through the Lifelong Friends Program.
The ASPCA participates on the Iams International Animal Care Advisory Board. This group was established to assist the Iams Company in the evaluation of their research policies and procedures.
There has been much publicity regarding an investigation conducted by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). This investigation revealed unsatisfactory conditions for animals in a research laboratory contracted by the Iams Company.

After examining the facts, the ASPCA has decided to continue our relationship with the Iams Company for the following reasons:

- The Iams Company quickly addressed the issues.
- An unannounced visit was made to the facility in question.
- The laboratory was found to be in non-compliance with Iams’ research policies.
- The decision was made to end all research at the facility.

The Iams Company promptly evaluated all other contract facilities to ensure compliance with the Iams Research Policy.
The Iams Company seeks advice from the ASPCA and other organizations regarding their Animal Research Policy.
The Iams Company established the Iams International Animal Care Advisory Board.
The ASPCA has evaluated confidential information and participated in inspections of current Iams’ facilities.
As America's oldest animal welfare organization, the ASPCA takes very seriously its commitment to prevent cruelty to animals. The companies we associate with are chosen carefully to help us further the cause of animal welfare, and we in turn have the opportunity to help them improve their programs. The ASPCA desires to work with companies in an effort to reduce, refine and replace animal use in research. We believe that by working together in a constructive manner we can raise awareness of animal welfare issues.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The AHA and ASPCA are two organizations that work closely with companies to find out about the treatment of animals, help prevent mistreatment, and can be trusted to tell the facts about the treatment. PETA is kinda like a wild politically-reactive little sister.

 

[chimama]

??????

Who to believe? I guess I know PETA can get a little over the line, I don't know where the video came from, but if it was from Iams maybe they will clean up their act now they know they are being watched, lets hope! :roll:

 

[absolethe]

Well, in theory they were being watched before. This particular place was contracted by Iams (not owned by, and not being overseen regularly by Iams). They were definately mistreating the animals horribly, but I know that PETA tends to exaggerate. And they were stopped.

So what I get from this is that Iams, as a company, is probably ok. This particular incident occured and it is probable that some Iams employees knew. So just keep an eye on them.

 

[PrattFamily]

abs: I got the exact same email "word for word" from iams.

Although the ASPCA makes favorable comments about IAMS, in my opinion, the ASPCA are not "Angels" concerning their treatment of their animals.

Moreover, its not that difficult to "clean-up" the IAMS facility before either the ASPCA or anyother person enters their secured site.

On the otherhand, it appears that PETA can go "over-the-top" in how they expect people to treat their animals. It's almost like they want animals to be treated as humans, which they of course are not.

My husband read the same email from iams and said that the only reason they sent it is to cover their butts legally. That is, if they don't respond then silence can sometimes be treated as an acquiescence of the asserted allegations. As far as slander goes, I would imagine it would take more than mere allegations of falsehoods to be held liable for slander because IAMS is most likely a "public figure" and to my knowlege, "actual malice" must be shown before any liability can attach. Evenfurther, if IAMS is a public figure, I don't believe they can sue for derogation in their reputation in the absence of "actual malice".

This is all mere speculation but my thoughts nonetheless.

 

[Tobi's mom]

I had not heard about this.I am sick just thinking about these poor animals.Yes something has to be done.