A RESPONSE from IAMS on ANIMAL ABUSE!

[Die Fledermaus]

There was a thread on PETA allegations of IAMS abusing animals. I cited PETA's page, and www.iamscruelty.com.

I finally received a response from IAMS on this matter; here it is, and I would welcome any reactions.

>>
Thank you for sharing your concerns regarding our animal research policy. I'm glad you wrote to us so that we can 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. Please take a few minutes and review our research policy on our Web site at www.iamsco.com.

For additional information, please copy-and-paste the following URLs to your web browser. If for some reason these URLs don't work, please visit our company site at www.iamsco.com. This information can be accessed through the horizontal navigation bar by clicking onto News/Stories.

THE IAMS COMPANY RESEARCH POLICY

www.iamsco.com/en_US/jhtmls/iamsco/news/sw_in_News_page.jhtml?li=en_US&bc=C&pti=IN&ai=12

TIMELINE OF EVENTS

www.iamsco.com/en_US/jhtmls/iamsco/news/sw_in_News_page.jhtml?pti=IN&li=en_US&bc=C&ai=52

INTERNATIONAL ANIMAL CARE ADVISORY BOARD

www.iamsco.com/en_US/jhtmls/iamsco/news/sw_in_News_page.jhtml;jsessionid=CWEMK24XDFLCVQFIAJ2IYCQ?li=en_US&bc=C&pti=IN&ai=369

STATEMENT FROM THE ADVISORY BOARD

www.iamsco.com/en_US/jhtmls/iamsco/news/sw_in_News_page.jhtml?li=en_US&bc=C&pti=IN&ai=1102

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.

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,

Danette Bridgens

Iams Consumer Care, North America <<

[Hamsters82]

So, their saying that they don't do harmful things to dogs & cats? Then how come PETA has been reporting these things, are they lying to you? I'm sorry I read your whole post, I'm just trying to understand if I read it properly.

I've also heard that the HSUS is involved with Iams. I wrote them a letter asking them if this was true. I have yet to recieve a message from them. If it is true, then I'm going to stop sending them checks.

[dosergirl]

For more information on why Peta is campaigning against IAMS,,,,www.iamscruelty.com/iams.asp

[rasputin]

Iams' statement seems to skirt directly denying the claims of PETA and other activist groups. I'll have to check the other links to see what they do state, but that statement only says that PETA had an agenda, not what the facts really are.

We all knew from the start that PETA wasn't unbiased anyway, so that's nothing new. This really is nothing new to me -- I'm curious as to why, if PETA is misrepresenting them, that they do spend so muc time on the credentials of the animal care board and no time at all discussing or rebutting the allegations made by PETA.

It seems to be a bunch of smoke and mirrors.

Correct me if anyone sees direct rebuttal in that statement, or confirm what I'm seeing as a bunch of corporate obfuscation.

[rasputin]

The statement from the advisory board alsdo does not address specifics, or the specific conditions at the facilities toured. They only say that they are satisfied with Iams' cooperation, and that future inspections will be similarly unexciting.

It sounds like "4 out of 5" dentists to me -- very inspecific, very dodgy. Not much of a statement, just a prelude to a puff of smoke.

[Die Fledermaus]

James, I think you are right. Would care to post a short open letter here to IAMS which I will send back to them in response to their letter to me? (Wonder if they will respond to that one).

[rasputin]

I'm not really up on the specifics of the PETA allegations -- not having dogs or cats, they didn't really stick with me. But I do know that there *were* specific complaints, and that the statements did not address them in any regard.

[Die Fledermaus]

Rasputin said:

I'm not really up on the specifics of the PETA allegations -- not having dogs or cats, they didn't really stick with me. But I do know that there *were* specific complaints, and that the statements did not address them in any regard.

I will write IAMS back expressing disapproval of the lack of specificity in their response to the PETA claims. Fair enough?

[Die Fledermaus]

Just got this, today, from IAMS on this issue. thoughts?


>> Hello,

I am writing to you because you have contacted us in the past with questions about our nutritional studies. I write today to update you on enhancements we've made to our dog and cat welfare program and policies.

You may remember that in July of 2003 we announced the establishment of our independent International Animal Care Advisory Board. This group, along with other outside experts, has helped us make further enhancements to our welfare program. They have recently completed a new round of unannounced facilities inspections. You'll find the results and recommendations on our web site at www.iamstruth.com.

In addition, we have always had an employee adoption program for dogs and cats participating in feeding studies at Iams-owned facilities. In the past year, we now have adoption programs in place to include dogs and cats participating in Iams studies at all external feeding study facilities. So, any dog or cat that participates in an Iams feeding study will have a home for life.

And we are doing even more to reduce, refine, and replace animals in research:

· We will no longer use feeding studies to achieve the AAFCO (Association of American Feed Control Officials) nutritional adequacy statement. Instead, we will use nutrient profiles that are published by AAFCO to ensure that our foods are complete and balanced.

· We continue to increase our in-home feeding studies.
· We are sharing our welfare program with shelters, veterinarians, our competitors, and others.

We will continue to send you updates as we continue to make enhancements to our programs and policies. If you choose not to receive updates, please respond back and let us know. We can remove you from our list. If you would like additional information or have specific questions, please visit our 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.

Best regards,

Marti <<

[ilovemouses1]

Do you really think they're beinh honest? I mean, of course they're going to deny everything!
Trust me, there are so many animal abuse cases out there, PETA wouldn't waste thousands of dollars and all they're time campaigning against Iams if there wasn't still a problem.