I know that all of us have heard and seen the posts on some internet websites regarding IAMS and accusations of animal cruelty. Read this. ------------------------- This is crossposted with permission from another list. Someone personally wrote Iams after seeing the PETA site and was given the below in response. Make sure to visit the links provided. The ASPCA link is particularly interesting. "Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding the current issues surrounding our nutritional studies. We appreciate the fact that you want to learn about both sides of the issue. And we would greatly appreciate if you shared the facts with as many people as you wish! You've received some incorrect and outdated information. An extreme activist organization continues a misleading campaign featuring footage that's more than a year old of a facility we no longer use. This inaccurate account includes examples of dogs and cats that were not part of our studies, and makes claims of activities that we never authorized. We want to be perfectly clear: Iams will not fund or participate in any study requiring or resulting in the euthanasia of cats or dogs. This principle is just one of eight points in our strict research policy that is approved by an independent Animal Care Advisory Board. The members of our Advisory Board are from respected animal welfare organizations such as the ASPCA and the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS). We chose these individuals because they share our interest in reducing, refining, and replacing animals in research. In addition, the Advisory Board conducts unannounced visits to review the care and welfare of the dogs and cats participating in our feeding studies at our internal and external sites. To see a summary of recent facility reports, to view video footage of animals in our care, or to review our research policy please visit our web site at www.iamstruth.com. You can also see a facility report by utilizing the following URL: http://www.aspca.org/site/PageServer?pagename=iamsresearch Other important information we'd like to share: We support the ultimate elimination of laboratory feeding studies as scientifically valid alternatives become available. Iams is actively working with external partners to develop new research methods in pet nutrition which do not require laboratory feeding studies. We are taking full responsibility for the destiny of all dogs and cats that participate in our feeding studies at both internal and external sites. Our dogs and cats are either adopted into loving homes or placed in the Iams retirement center when they no longer participate in our feeding studies. This is unprecedented in the pet arena; we know of no other company that is taking this level of responsibility for the ongoing well-being of all dogs and cats with whom they work. We are proactively sharing the Iams Welfare Program for dogs and cats in an effort to make it the norm. An Iams Behaviorist has shared our socialization and enrichment program with shelters, veterinarians and others to illustrate that it's possible to enrich and socialize in such an environment. In addition, we recently presented our program to others in the pet food industry. We are committed to continual improvement in this area and are looking to adopt best practices in animal care and nutritional research wherever they are created. We will continue to actively search and reapply good ideas from around the world. 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 Consumer Care at 800-525-4267. One of our advisors will be more than happy to speak with you about this very important issue. Sincerely, Sharon Iams Consumer Care, North America"

wow minniyar where do u get these stuff from? thats amazing.

Well That is good to know! thanks

I get mmost of my information from a great circle of Akita owners and breeders actually hehe

Minniyar, thanks (once again) for providing us with the FACTS, rather than rumor or half truths.

The rebuttal by IAMS seems to imply that they were involved in, or at least associated with, cruel experimentation as PETA have claimed and have changed their ways (if indeed they have) only in response to the adverse publicity

The information given seems to imply that this was an isolated incident that was not typical to the usual IAMS care. I'm pretty certain that if you look closely at the history of every single organization in history there's been some issue of curruption and abuse.. including the US govt and PETA, look at their affiliations with organizations deigned as Terrorists. I would much rather learn that they not only recognize that this happend but are doing that they are doing things to prevent it from ever happening agian in conjunction with reputable organizations that are far more interested in the general well being of animals. I wish the same could be said for PETA, which has a strong bias against certain things, including Pit Bulls, which they say should all be euthanized.

Thanks for the info......You really do know something about everything

Gee God, your "amazing" post doesn't surprise me in the least. It's funny that so many humane societies still won't use their food though. I'm with Ferdinand, the issues surrounding Iams have been around for years and the recent dates of the ASPCA investigations only imply that IAMS needs to cover for itself now. Thanks for providing yet another anti-Peta blurb and don't bother replying because I've come to realize that everything with you is extremely one sided.

I know that this topic is old but I wanted to respond since I just got a puppy and he eats IAMS for puppies. For a long time, I would not feed my cats IAMS due to the article. I even returned my unopened cans of IAMS cat food to the store for the reasons on that iamscruelty.com website. However, I read your post and I also read on the ASPCA's website that they frequently conduct inspections and investigations and everything is fine at the IAMS laboratories. According to IAMS very own website (http://www.iamstruth.com/iamstruth/en_US/jhtmls/home/IT_Home_Page.jhtml?li=en_US&pti=HP) they are making every effort to correct issues.
I agree with the moderator. Every company has their issues. I am glad that IAMS has taken a step forward to correct problems that occured at some facilities and even acknowledged that they would take every step to avoid this situation.

***Edited By: csavio on 8/21/2005 2:37:55 PM***
Reason: added something

Hi All

I came across this forum in the course of researching an article for my company. I couldn't leave without adding a comment or two. As my wife and I own a pet food manufacturing company here in South Africa, we are constantly confronted with the issue of animal testing.

If you believe that inhumane and invasive animal testing is a concern, then you should follow the research being done by all the so called "Veterinary Brands" (Yes, all of them!).

Pet food has been turned into a medicine to be prescribed, and in order to validate the claims (which I might add are in the most part marketing/sales gimmicks), numerous tests need to be conducted on animals in order to supply the volumes of data neccesssary. This data is then submitted to the relevant authority or regulatory body who decide to accept or reject the claims. They also give permission for the tests to be conducted in the first place.

The upshot of this is that companion animals are kept in conditions that are far removed from the normal social structure that they would enjoy when in a home enviroment or natural pack. This leads to high levels of stress due to confinement, operations, procedures and over-handling.

I'm sure that if any of you actually visit a facility used in these food studies then you will be as shocked and disgusted as I have been. This has lead us to implement a policy of no testing of any sort other than that which can be conducted at home without the requirements of operations, blood samples etc.

We breed Pyrenean Mountain Dogs as well as Norwegian Forest Cats and could never imagine one of our family being used in experiments just so that another manufacurer can slap on a sticker or make another claim so that they can profit from these poor animals suffering.

We treat our prisoners in jail better than some of these animals. But I suppose that when you look at an animal in a cage that meets minimum space requirements and do things to it that require special permission from the authorities (because if you or I did this at home we would be thrown in jail) and not feel a twinge of guilt, then you need to check your humanity quotient.

Please inform yourselves. Don't take the word of people who are professional marketers. Make up your own mind. Phone the manufacturers and ask them what sort of tests they conduct in order to make their claims. Judge for yourself whether the answers are believeable or not.

Having spent the last few years researching and manufacturing cat and dog food and seeing the results of feeding commercial food on breeding patterns, I am convinced that a more natural approach to feeding your pets will result in healthier, happier animals.

I apologise for the length of this post, but it is a topic that we are passionate about and I feel strongly that pet owners need to start taking responsibility for the suffering that these animals go through.

Iams is owned by Proctor and Gamble - those charming folks who developed and sell Premarin (you know, the stuff made from horse urine) that has been shown to cause increased cancers. I would not believe a thing a big business like P&G says for one instant. This is nothing more than damage control. It didn't work for the horses used for the urine supply and it won't work for their pet food company either. I refuse to support Iams in any way.