Animal organisations protest against P&G pet food companies

Animal organisations circled a miniature dog graveyard outside City Gate, Valletta yesterday to protest against the harmful, and sometimes fatal, experiments on animals by the American pet food company Iams.

They were joined by Yvonne Taylor, a representative of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), who has spent the past week touring Europe to mark World Week for Animals in Laboratories (April 18-24).

PETA is encouraging pet owners worldwide to boycott Iams and Eukanuba pet foods, which are owned by Procter & Gamble, until the cruel experiments stop.

"PETA carried out a 10-month undercover investigation at an Iams contract laboratory and revealed that animals are being kept in deplorable conditions - we even have video footage that we went public with in 2003," Ms Taylor said.

The investigator found cats and dogs confined to small, barren cages, some for up to six years; dogs who were silenced by having their vocal cords cut out; and dogs force-fed vegetable oil through tubes inserted down their throats.

Ms Taylor explained that Iams still brazenly conducted laboratory experiments on animals in the US for dog and cat foods it sold in Europe, despite the fact that these tests were not necessary or required by any law.

Just last month, PETA in the US exposed an Iams-funded experiment that involved inducing gingivitis - a painful gum disease - in 21 beagles by cutting and suturing their gums.

"Feeling intense pressure from consumers over its use of contract laboratories to test its dog and cat foods, Iams has announced that it will pull out of all contract and university facilities by October 2006.

However, it is doubling the size of its own laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, where it can experiment on animals behind locked doors," she added.

Speaking about her visits to Denmark, France, Switzerland, Britain, the Czech Republic and the Netherlands, Ms Taylor said that people's initial reaction was one of shock.

"Many people buy Iams products because they care about their own animal companions. They never dream that their purchases help fund the abuse of innocent dogs and cats in laboratories. If people knew about the misery that goes into Iams food, they would leave it on the shelf," she said.

PETA's evidence and yesterday's protest was disputed by Sataco managing director Tonio Satariano, the exclusive importer and distributor of Iams and Eukanuba products in Malta.

He insisted that Iams provided dogs and cats with superior nutritional healthcare and conducted studies to ensure that its pet foods helped dogs and cats live long, healthy lives.

Iams, he said, was transparent about how it carried out its feeding studies and it ensured the humane treatment of all species.

Independent experts monitored the studies and if there was the potential for pain or distress, the company did whatever it could to prevent or eliminate it.

"If what PETA is saying is true why don't they broach the matter with the US law enforcement? Iams have to test the food before it puts it on the market and if the claims of cruelty to animals is true then it would be illegal and stopped," Mr Satariano said.

He also referred to a letter by the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) which investigated the issue and found that animal welfare was a high priority to Iams, whose Website on the issue is: www.iamstruth.com.

Questioned about this, Ms Taylor pointed out that Iams's tests were not illegal and PETA was just insisting that they were absolutely unnecessary and had to be stopped.

"Most of the testing is conducted in the US where laws on animal testing are very lax. If what we are saying is not true then we would have already been sued. You cannot make such claims against a multi-national company and get away it - nobody has sued us."

PETA and local animal organisations are encouraging pet owners to buy alternative pet foods and to tell Iams that they will not buy its products until all animal experiments stopped.

This can be done by visiting www.IamsCruelty.com