Iams: Exposing the Lies

PETA hates Proctor and Gamble. PETA hates Proctor and Gamble so much that they will stop at nothing to see that company destroyed. Why do they hate Proctor and Gamble? Because in an effort to bring us new and more effective products, Proctor and Gamble has to test on animals.

PETA has launched a propaganda campaign against Iams specifically. Now, I for one, would never buy Iams for my pets. But that's because it sucks as a pet food. It's overpriced for what you're getting. My pets get quality food.

If you believe what PETA says about Iams, then you believe that Iams has a very serious problem. Well, that's not entirely true. PETA did uncover problems at two labs that Iams had outsourced work to, but, by the time this campaign was launched, they weren't even using the first one. They fired the second lab after PETA had uncovered that the lab was not fulfilling Iams' animal care policy. However, he video taken at the third lab is a problem. First of all, PETA decries the conditions that the animals used in this lab live in, not taking into account that the animals at local animal shelters all live in the same conditions.

Here is one of PETA's misleading statements:

Another dog, referred to only as HJBMCN, had no resting board and was not removed from her cage during cleaning time, so she often had to sit or lie on wet concrete. Like so many other animals, HJBMCN was given no exercise, socialization, or psychological enrichment.

You want the truth? The woman who got that "undercover" video footage was hired in order to develop and implement programs to make sure that these animals' welfare was being taken into account. She had the responsibility for socialization and enrichment of dogs at that facility. If they were not being given exercise, socialization, or enrichment, could it be because PETA didn't want them given any? This wouldn't be the first time PETA has tried to engage in cruelty to animals in order to further their radical cause...

Here's another gem from PETA's IamsCruelty.com site:

Many Iams dogs suffered cruel and painful muscle biopsies, and Iams even allowed its dogs to be surgically debarked to silence the their tormented cries.

And now here is the truth that PETA doesn't want you to know:

Yes,some dogs were debarked. However, it wasn't because Iams wanted it done. In fact, according to an article on Iams' webpage, debarking has been against Iams company policy since 1960. The PETA operative authorized these animals to be debarked without Iams' consent. What does that tell you about PETA?

Here are some other things that PETA doesn't want you to know:

Iams adopts out all the animals they use in tests after the tests are done or after the animals are retired, as of July 2003.

Iams is committed to working toward eliminating animal experimentation as a scientifically valid procedure. They are actively using, seeking, and developing alternatives.

Killing dogs and cats is against Iams research policy, and has been for years.

The "undercover" operative who obtained the video footage was paid to be the animal welfare specialist for that facility. Getting paid to ensure that the animals are well cared for while working with an extremist activist organization that seeks to eliminate all laboratory tests on animals is most definitely a conflict of interests, and one cannot consider this "investigation" to be objective and expect to be taken seriously.

And, finally, the ASPCA sheds some light on the issue:

The ASPCA participates on the Iams International Animal Care Advisory Board. This board provides input to the Iams Company on animal research issues.

The Iams Company has requested that members of the board conduct unannounced site visits to Iams' research facilities. The ASPCA provides site visit reports for each of the visits our team participates in. These reports represent a snapshot in time based on what was seen during the visit period only.

Here are the ASPCA's stated objectives when they visit an Iams facility:

• To evaluate the care of the animals
• To assess the condition of the animals
• To evaluate socialization and enrichment for the animals
• To evaluate housing and play areas
• To ensure that animals are not exposed to inappropriate stress or hardship
• To interview staff directly involved with the care of the animals
• To review study protocols and other study related documentation
• To evaluate whether or not the research being conducted falls within the guidelines of the Iams Company Research Policy

Also, according to a statement on the ASPCA's website, the ASPCA has had a relationship with Iams for five years. That relationship definitely predates any of these allegations that PETA is making.

So, once again PETA makes false allegations against an innocent entity (in this case, a company) just because they don't agree with the methods this company uses.