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Border Collie Rescue - On Line - IAMS Animal Tests

Uncaged made history last night with an audacious publicity coup to launch the 10^th year of their Global Boycott Procter & Gamble campaign. The group is protesting against the company’s use of animals in toxicity tests for cosmetics, toiletries and household products. P&G’s brands include Ariel, Daz, Fairy, Max Factor, Olay, Pantene Pro-V, Herbal Essences, and Head and Shoulders.

We projected a stark message - ‘Procter & Gamble Test on Animals’ - in 15ft high letters across the iconic ‘Angel of the North’ sculpture on Tyneside, where the company’s ‘Global Business Services Centre’ is located. The massive slogan was unmissable for miles around. Antony Gormley has said that he created the Angel to provide a focus for people’s hopes and fears and to signify grasping hold of the future, tying in closely with the ideals of this campaign.

For two hours, thousands of people saw our message emblazoned in the sky, and the media flocked to cover the spectacle, raising huge awareness for our compassionate crusade. Our daring stunt has created a huge buzz in Procter & Gamble’s own backyard. People turned off the A1 motorway to get a closer look and congratulate us, and many drivers beeped their horns in support. Passing pedestrians also came over to voice support and some fetched their cameras to capture the sensational image for themselves!

This story speaks for itself - its horrific to think we are funding activities like this simply by buying pet foods.

Links and contacts for Uncaged and PETA follow the text at the bottom of the page - go there now  - or scroll and read.

News Release - Uncaged Campaigns

00:00 hrs, 7 March 2002

RSPCA hoodwinked over cruel cat & dog pet food experiments
Stars vow to boycott IAMS

Controversial multinational consumer products company, Procter & Gamble,
have run into more trouble on the eve of Crufts Dog Show. It has emerged
that the corporation issued inaccurate animal testing policy statements to
the RSPCA during talks prior to a national joint promotion in supermarkets,
such as Tesco's.

Procter & Gamble's efforts to mass market IAMS, the pet food company it
acquired in September 1999, in the UK were dealt a severe blow when Uncaged
Campaigns uncovered documents describing laboratory experiments on 460 cats
and dogs supported by the Iams Company. A front page story in the Sunday
Express (27 May 2001), based on Uncaged Campaigns' work, publicised the
horrific research. Many of the animals endured painful or invasive
experiments, which were often lethal. The RSPCA vowed to sever its ties with
Iams when this information emerged.

In a letter responding to Uncaged Campaigns' concerns, dated 22 January
2002, the RSPCA acknowledge that the "allegations" which appeared in the
Express "were indeed well-founded", contrary to Iams denials. The Society
goes on to describe the Procter & Gamble policy statement "we do not use
cats and dogs in research or testing for non-drug products" as 'deficient'.

Elaborating, a RSPCA spokesperson confirmed: "Had we been aware of their
research we would never have been involved in promoting their products. Once
we were aware we stopped."

Uncaged Campaigns will be protesting outside Crufts later this week (7-10
March, 8am-2pm daily, Birmingham NEC) in opposition to Iams' animal testing
practices and to lobby the Kennel Club to bar Iams from being a sponsor of
the show.

Dan Lyons, director of Uncaged Campaigns, explains:

"We've been appalled not only by Iams' cruelty to animals, but also by the
misleading spin the company issues to create a smokescreen around it's cruel
treatment of animals. At the end of the day they are being undone by their
own spin, and it's quite gratifying that the truth is winning this battle.
Iams is now in crisis - Crufts will be very uncomfortable for them indeed."

The campaign to stop Iams' cruel tests on animals has been given another
boost with support from stars such as Joanna Lumley, Annie Lennox and Sean
Hughes. The British Hedgehog Preservation Society, the British House Rabbit
Association and Battersea Dogs Home have also promised not to give Iams a
platform in future. Battersea Dogs Home's Director General told Uncaged
Campaigns: "I am grateful to you for providing me with the information which
you have clearly researched well."

Uncaged Campaigns will be presenting a petition to the Kennel Club at the
end of Crufts requesting a ban on Iams and a firm anti-cruelty policy. The
anti-vivisection organisation has been spearheading a global boycott of
Procter & Gamble products for over half a decade in protest at the company's
animal testing practices, including cosmetic and toiletry testing.

For further information (e.g. copies of letters, documentation) or
interviews, please contact Dan Lyons on 0114 2722220 or 07799 117694.
See also www.uncaged.co.uk/iams.htm for information.

- Press release ends -

6. - 18 MALE PUPPIES' KIDNEYS WERE CHEMICALLY DAMAGED; EXPERIMENTAL DIETS WERE
FED; TUBES WERE INSERTED IN THEIR PENISES, THEN THE PUPPIES WERE KILLED. -
Colorado State University and The Iams Company. (Grauer, GF, et al. Am J Vet
Res 1996; Vol 57: No 6, pp 948-956)

IAMS - Pet Food Cruelty Exposed

This article by Lucy Johnson appeared in the Sunday Express, 27 May 2001.

A major sponsor of Crufts dog show has carried out horrific experiments on animals, it can be revealed today.

Thousands of weekend holiday visitors to the famous show at the NEC in Birmingham will be shocked to learn the truth about IAMS, a pet food made by Procter and Gamble.

The Sunday Express has uncovered damning evidence of gruesome tests performed on dogs and cats during the development of the product, which is being heavily promoted at the event. IAMS has also been backed by the RSPCA - but after being told of our findings the animal welfare charity said it would sever all ties.

Last night Crufts organisers launched their own investigation and were considering removing a stand sponsored by Procter and Gamble. In supermarkets and pet shops across Britain, IAMS is being marketed as a breakthrough in animal health care and nutrition.

But our investigation as revealed that hundreds of animals suffered incredible agony in experiments designed to perfect IAMS. A huge dossier of research papers exposes how scientists deliberately induced kidney failure and other conditions in dogs and cats. Some experiments involved performing operations on healthy animals which were later killed.

Last night animal activists and MPs condemned the research.

Campaigner and comedy writer Carla Lane said:

"It is horrifying to think people are buying pet food that involves so much experimentation. You don't have to harm animals to find out what's good for them to eat."

And Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker said:

"It's ironic to say the least that a company which purports to care for animal is conducting abhorrent animal experiments behind closed doors. Perhaps they should list their experiments on their labels and then see how much they sell."

Animal rights organisation Uncaged Campaigns is to stage a protest at Crufts, distributing leaflets and waving banners highlighting "the suffering behind the science" and urging a boycott.

Director Dan Lyons said:

"Even the people representing IAMS at the show are unlikely to know they are promoting a company that inflicts pain and death on animals. Once they see the evidence they will be as appalled as anyone else."

The protest is likely to embarrass the show's organisers who boast a star studded guest list, including Coronation Street's Roy Barraclough (Alec Gilroy), actress Susan George and Eastenders Martin Kemp (Steve Owen) and Pam St Clements (Pat Butcher).

Details of the experiments are buried in obscure scientific papers uncovered by the Sunday Express and Uncaged Campaigns.

In one experiment, 24 young dogs had their right kidneys removed and the left partly damaged to investigate how protein affects dogs with kidney failure. Eight dogs were killed to analyse the kidney tissue.

Dogs which became sick were not treated because it would have undermined the test results.

In another test, the stomachs of 28 cats were exposed so scientists could analyse the effects of feeding them fibre. The animals were operated on for at least two hours and then killed.

The research team sterilised 24 female cats, which were then over-fed until they became obese. They were then starved on a crash diet and when they had lost at least 30 per cent of their weight their livers were examined to investigate the link between weight loss and liver disease. The company also sponsored research in which 14 husky puppies were repeatedly injected with live virus vaccines and allergy-causing proteins for the first 12 weeks of their lives. They developed permanent illnesses in the test, which was designed to see how severely allergic they could become.

Twelve huskies, 12 poodles and 12 Labradors were regularly given chest wounds to see if diet could affect fur regrowth. This was justified in the study on the grounds that "dogs are enjoyable to touch and look at... Dogs with coat problems are simply not handled as much."

Dr Dan Cary, Director of technical communications for IAMS said that his company cared about the welfare of animals. He justified the scientific studies as being carried out to save pets from illnesses and improve physical well-being. He said:

"Our mission is to enhance the health of dogs and cats. We take their welfare extremely seriously during the studies and don't enter into research lightly. All our studies have to be valid science and we have to be sure they are never repeated as it is wasteful of animal time."

End

For a 2003 update on Uncaged Campaigns fight to publically reveal animal testing documents - follow this link.

To find out much more about this story, including documentary evidence + other animal welfare issues and the work of Uncaged Campaigns - Click Here - to visit their website.

To directly e.mail Uncaged Campaigns - Click Here

PETA - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals campaign against IAMS - visit www.iamscruelty.co.uk to find out about their investigations, results and actions. you can also visit  www.peta.org to find out about other aspects of their work.

BCR supports PETA in the boycott of all IAMS products. We will neither purchase or use any IAMS products and encourage others to do the same - individual dog owners - rescue centres - event organisers - retailers - wholesalers and anyone with a concience. Vote with your purses and wallets and remember - if you do buy (or sell) IAMS products you are paying for these cruel experiments to continue. There are plenty of healthy alternatives out there. We don't even have to do anything that demanding - just stop buying their products, Think of it like training a dog - when it misbehaves - we stop dealing with it and ignore it - we don't reward its bad behaviour or it will keep on repeating it.

Oh- one thing we can do - spread the word and point people to the websites that provide the information - tell your vet and ask if it is right they should stock IAMS products - tell the RSPCA - tell the Kennel Club - write to magazines and media companies and complain about IAMS adverts.

We live in a fickle and undependable world where the new god is money and the new religion the pursuit of gain - but most of us are still human and find it difficult to keep pace with the changes in moral values thrust upon us by a greedy and powerful minority - so we block it out - we ignore it - we say to ourselves 'there is nothing I can do about that - it's too big - you can't fight it'. A powerful and persuasive self argument  - but inaccurate!

Some of us will disagree with what is going on around us and would want to stop what we see as 'immoral' or 'unethical' activities until we realise that by opposing these activities we would put barriers between us and something we enjoy - would perhaps make our life more difficult - would curtail certain activities we wish to get involved in or the purchase of products we traditionally use and enjoy. Its' easier to do nothing

Businesses, global corporations, even organisations like Border Collie Rescue or the Kennel Club all rely on giving the public what it wants to get support. Without support no-one would succeed in their endeavours - be it profit or the promotion of charitable activities, ideas or social activities.

It is becoming more difficult to differentiate between organisations and companies that exist for profit and personal gain and those that exist for social or non profit activities. Charities are becoming more like businesses every day and many businesses like to give the impression they exist for the benefit of mankind rather than for the profit of the owners, directors or shareholders. What would have been considered as 'corrupt' or 'misleading' only such a short time ago as the early 50's is now becoming commonplace and more acceptable simply because more and more people jump on the bandwagon and - the rest of us - we do nothing about it.

In the UK we regard ourselves as a Nation of animal lovers, yet every animal rescue centre in the country is working to overload, dealing with peoples unwanted pets and discarded mistakes and liabilities. Animal rescue is a growing industry in the UK and itself is becoming big business, attracting people with the lure of profit, cash, personal gain. In the pet industry - from top to bottom, the love of the animals we keep is being overtaken by the pursuit of profit, often to the detriment of the animals themselves.

Nevertheless, for the majority of us, our pets are important and we will spend large sums on the care and welfare of our friends and companions. This is multimillion pound business Many want a share of the money we are spending and do not care about the conflicting moral or ethical values that interfere with the pursuit of a healthy bank balance. Sales are what counts.

So - think about it - do you want to live in a world like this - do you care? If you do, you can do something about it. If you stop buying the products, the companies will change - they will have to or they will cease. If you stop supporting the organisations that support these companies they will severe links and the companies will change - or they will cease.

No-one is claiming that this will always be easy, but there are many good organisations and companies that work in the industry and many that manufacture products that are not stained with the blood of the animals they claim to exist for the benefit of. Don't put up with it.  Do something about it.

Vote with your purse and your choice of product and buy what is morally correct from companies that practice good ethics and do not practice hypocrisy. You can make a difference and the more the merrier.

To find out more about this emotive subject - use the internet - we went to Google and did a very quick search using the keywords - Animal Testing - the result were -

Searched the web for - Animal Testing

Results 1 - 10 of about 976,000. Search took 0.05 seconds.

That's not far off a million links relating to this subject - there must be something going on and happening on a very large scale.

Search out the villains and boycott them - don't let them get away with it.

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