Animal abuse and IAMS
 

I don't know if there's anyone else interested in this, I know that it hit me hard; I just wanted to let this be known to some people that may buy IAMS food for their pets ~ some may have heard about it but some haven't and that's why i'm letting you know, and I would love to help these animals in any way that I can...


What Our Investigator Found: Iams™ Den of Horrors

-Iams dogs dumped on cold concrete flooring after having huge chunks of muscle cut out of their thighs
-dogs and cats gone stir-crazy from confinement; dogs and cats in windowless, dungeon-like buildings
-a coworker who instructed her to hit the dogs on the chest if they quit breathing; another coworker who talked about an Iams dog found dead in his cage, bleeding from his mouth
-a dog who limped in pain from Lyme disease
-cruel studies done by Iams involving sticking tubes down dogs’ throats to force them to ingest vegetable oil
-Iams dogs with such severe tartar buildup on their teeth that it was painful for them to eat
-vet technicians with inadequate training and experience performing invasive procedures
-coworkers who talked about a live kitten who was washed down a drain
-coworkers who talked about how they had to go home because the ammonia fumes in the animal trailers were so overpowering that it made their eyes burn (try being one of the animals in those cages!)
-cats kept in a cinderblock room with crude wooden œresting boards that had nails sticking out of them; one of the boards fell on a cat, crushing her to death, while our investigator was there yet the lab director did not remove the boards when the cat was crush ”he removed them when he was told that the lab was going to be inspected because he knew they were illegal

And here is the rest of the article:

Why Iams?

For nearly 10 months in 2002 and early 2003, a PETA investigator went undercover at an Iams contract testing laboratory and discovered a dark and sordid secret beneath the wholesome image of the dog and cat-food manufacturer: dogs gone crazy from intense confinement to barren steel cages and cement cells, dogs left piled on a filthy paint-chipped floor after having chunks of muscle hacked from their thighs; dogs surgically debarked; horribly sick dogs and cats languishing in their cages, neglected and left to suffer with no veterinary care.

Iams lied to PETA with promises to improve the conditions for animals in its contract laboratories, even assuring us that enrichment programs were already in place, but our undercover investigator saw otherwise. She fought for six months to have a single cheap, rubber toy placed in each cold, lonely kennel. This is Iams’ idea of enrichment.

Our video footage shows Iams representatives touring the facility and witnessing dogs endless circling in barren cells, sweltering in the summer heat. Iams knew the truth yet did nothing to protect the animals.

The dogs and cats in Iams tests are no different from our dogs and cats at home when it comes to deserving companionship, play, a stimulating environment, and the right not to be tormented in painful experiments.

Luckily, caring consumers know that advances in nutrition don't have to come at the expense of animals in labs. Help PETA force Iams to end these painful and unnecessary tests, as many compassionate companies have already done.

The Investigation

Our investigator videotaped Iams representatives touring the facility. They saw the sad, distressed dogs. They felt the sweltering heat and humidity in the kennels. Then they walked out. But the animals couldn't.

An Iams veterinarian inspecting a group of dogs purchased from a USDA Class B dealer did nothing when he saw that a mother dog who had just given birth in a cement kennel had been provided with no bedding to rest on. A puppy and an adult dog from that group died during our investigation, most likely the result of neglect and temperatures that fell below 34 degrees in the building.

An Iams behaviorist saw dogs spinning in their cages out of madness and yet said nothing. An Iams cat dental researcher even overheard two employees talking
about animals who were treated inhumanely at the facility yet Iams continued to conduct business there as usual.

Despite assurances in the Iams research policy that no animal would ever be killed, our investigator documented the destruction of 27 out of 60 dogs who underwent an invasive procedure that involved having huge chunks of muscle cut out of their legs. Two more of those dogs were found dead in their cages after the surgery; one had been suffering for 11 days prior to her death.

When our investigator reported that Humbug, an Iams dog, was limping, she was told by a vet tech that the laboratory had an x-ray machine that dated back to the 1960s but no film for it and that the director of the laboratory preferred to kill, rather than treat, animals with broken bones. In addition, Fifi and the other dogs used in Iams metabolic studies were bled by the laboratory in order to sell their blood to other companies even though the studies do not call for blood draws.

Finally, shortly before our investigator left, the lab director told the vet techs to debark all the Iams dogs as he was being disturbed by their desperate cries for attention. Our investigator e-mailed Iams researchers in Dayton with this information, hoping that Iams would intervene. But all she got was the sickening sight of a lab technician covered in blood after a day of performing the debarking surgery.

When our investigator resigned, she told the Iams representative and the lab director that she was leaving because despite her best efforts, nothing was being done to enhance the desperately boring, lonely, harsh lives of the animals. The Iams representative admitted that both he and the lab director were from the old school.

All information attained from this site:

www.iamscruelty.com/iams.asp

It's sickening, but I can't say I'm shocked. Iams' parent company, Procter & Gamble, has been known for its inhumane treatment of animals for years. My advice would be to, if at all possible, boycott as many P&G products as you can -- something that was drilled into my brain during my first couple of months as a PETA member.

OMG!!! I'm disgusted! I was feeding my dog Iams for a couple of weeks but he didn't take to it well so I switched to Max. I feel like printing this out and showing it to the people that work at PetCo. Anyway, thanks for the info.

Renee

damn :(
I've bought it occasionally to see if the cats liked it and wouldn't puke it out again. Definitely noot going to buy it again.
You'd think of all products that animal food would be animal testing- friendly, right? :mad:

Thankfully, my babies never liked it. They preferred Hill's instead. I just hope that Hill's isn't guilty of this sort of thing but it wouldn't shock me if they were. What corporations do to animals is deplorable.

For what it is worth, here is somw info. from the IAMS company:

http://www.iamsco.com/en_US/jhtmls/i...pti=IN&ai=1365

Animal Care Advisory Board Meets, Discusses Unannounced Study Site Visits

Dayton, OH - The International Animal Care Advisory Board convened its first-quarter meeting to discuss with The Iams Company three unannounced site visits undertaken by various members of the Board. The purpose of these visits was (1) to inform the board about the conditions in which Iams conducts its research, and (2) so that individual members of the Board can advise Iams on specific issues on which they have expertise. The visits were not undertaken to ensure that sites comply with national or international legislation and because of their brevity they provide only a snapshot.

The Board was pleased with the commitment that Iams has shown in working towards high standards of animal care and were impressed by the professionalism and caring nature of the staff that they met. At all sites considerable efforts had been made to provide substantial environmental enrichment. All of the cats or dogs seen during the visits appeared to be in good health, and they also appeared to be well socialized to each other and to humans. The Board made recommendations to Iams regarding specific ways to further improve the animal accommodation and on future policy. One of the sites was dated and the board advised that plans should be made to modernize the accommodation for these dogs.

The Iams Company accepted all the advice given by the Board and made plans immediately to implement the advice.

In addition, recommendations accepted at one site are being applied to all. Iams has indicated a commitment to future research on enrichment, the results of which will be disseminated to and applied at all of the study sites.

Members of the Board will continue to make unannounced visits at Iams' study facilities on a regular basis.

The Iams Company is dedicated to communicating openly and honestly with pet lovers everywhere, and will provide periodic updates of the outside review process.

See related links:

International Animal Care Advisory Board Established
Advisory Board Meeting Outcome
ASPCA Site Visit Report
___________________________________________________

Again, take it for what it is worth.

I usually try to switch up my 3 doggies foods, but after reading this there is no way in hell I will ever buy Iams. I think anyone who abuses animals needs to be taken out back and beaten with a club.

~Alex

This is so sick. Here I thought I was buying the best food for my cat from a company that treated their animals in the same way that that I treat mine.
Just real sick. Now what pet food should I be buying that good?

Great, my cats have been eating nothing but IAMS for 2 years. Anyone have any suggestions for another weight control cat food? My one kitty had a bad declaw job (Yes, I know, and I'll never do it again) so he doesn't get much exercise and as a result has a slight weight problem....

Carol

Here is another website on this

http://www.truthorfiction.com/rumors/i/iams.htm

My only beef with the PETA stuff is they are seemingly bitching about concrete kennels. Most people agree concrete kennels are the best because they are easily cleaned and thus, disease is more easily prevented.

But, if PETA has video, that is hard to refute for the other stuff.

So, shame on IAMS

Carol, you might want to try Science Diet. That's all I feed my cat. I like it better than IAM's and this was before I read this. BTW, I couldn't even read this whole article I was so sickened.

My vet told me that he sees more overweight animals from Iams supposed weight control products than any other brand. As long as the first listed ingredient is a meat-derived product, and not corn meal, you're okay. Higher-priced products are not necessarily better, just higher-priced. I've been feeding my kitty Purina One. :)

When I have to, I use Nutro Max ( http://www.nutroproducts.com/maxdogadult.asp )along with a supplement of chopped and sometimes a little steamed but usually raw green beans, brocolli, carrots, or brussel sprouts (Scotties love raw veggies).

Actually, cooking for your pet is the best and is not really more expensive than the processed food :shrug: I boil a non-chemical laden chicken (with carrots if you like) until the bones are soft like wet paper and then mix that with chemical free brown rice (I like brown better but some like chemical free white), organic plain yougart (sp.?), the veggies listed above, and a natural vitamen supplement - that will last a week or two and costs about $10 or less. That is essentially what is contained in the dry and wet pet foods, but it is without the preservants. For example, here are the ingredients of Nutro Max Adult Food (from the site above):

Chicken Meal, Wheat Flour, Ground Whole Wheat, Rice Bran, Poultry Fat (preserved with mixed Tocopherols, a source of natural Vitamin E), Corn Gluten Meal, Ground Rice, Lamb Meal, Natural Flavors, Yeast Culture, Calcium Carbonate, Monosodium Phosphate, Potassium Chloride, Choline Chloride, Dried Buttermilk, Dried Kelp, Dried Egg Product, Lecithin, Zinc Sulfate, Iron Sulfate, Vitamin E Supplement, Iron Oxide, Garlic, Ascorbic Acid (source of Vitamin C), Biotin, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Niacin, Calcium Pantothenate, Vitamin A Supplement, Manganous Oxide, Thiamine Mononitrate (source of Vitamin B1), Vitamin D3 Supplement, Riboflavin (source of Vitamin B2), Calcium Iodate, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride (source of Vitamin B6), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (source of Vitamin K activity), Folic Acid, Copper Sulfate.

[Interestingly]

Nutro supports the safe, ethical and humane treatment of all animals, including those used by our suppliers who provide our ingredients.
______________________________________________________________

Put it this way, dry pet food has a shelf life of years and the canned food sort of does as well, how can that possibly be a good thing?

Having said that, not everyone can or will take the time to cook for their pets, so processed food is their only option. Again, I like Nutromax. I also like Wysong, although my Scotties tended to gain weight on it.

Finally, I know the ingredients above sound a little horrifying, but we as humans eat them all of the time. Just look on the back of any processed food container. Look on the back of the sauce containers like ketchup. You will see some of the same ingredients. And people live until their 90's eating this stuff. So . . . . . :cool:

Whenever I see their commercial, I wonder how long they starved that poor kitty. He's gulping down that food like he hasn't had a meal in weeks, scooting that bowl across the floor. :(

Agreed!! Monosodium Glutamate is what everyone needs to avoid, but it's practically in everything that is tastey. :distress:

Yep, that's what I've been feeding my dog. Nutro Max. Thanks for the info.

Renee

I have not purchased a Procter and Gamble product in four years, I doubt I ever will in the near future.

I'm a PETA member, so I've handed out my fair share of pamphlets at pet stores about this. I simply don't understand how a human being can abuse an animal, let alone cut chunks of their muscle from them; it's incomprehensible.

I suggest that anyone who is seriously disturbed about this, send a letter to P&G to tell them that you will not patronize their company any longer because of their despicable treatment of animals. Also, you can always go to PETA's website and sign up for them to send you pamphlets, stickers, and brochures to hand out. They have the same material available for protesting KFC, another animal rights violator.

I think it's a dirty shame that animals are made to sleep on hard, cold concrete simply because it's easier to clean. Abuse is abuse and anyone who makes an animal sleep in a concrete kennel isn't fit to have that animal **** on their shoes.

I don't think any of us would like to sleep on concrete because we wouldn't have any bedclothes to wash.

THank you so much for posting this. This should have widest coverage possible, dammit. I'm glad i've always been too poor to buy my cats IAMS. I'm gonna show this to the people at the new Pet Food Express that opened by my house. This makes my heart ache...I could hardly bear to read it. Why are humans so cruel to helpless things? Things that have no cruelty in their hearts? Things that can't fight back? :( :( :(

Bless your heart, you just cannot resist yourself :laugh:

I would have bet $1,000 you were going to respond with that :laugh: You think I say black, so you say white - whatever :rolleyes:

I am simply pointing out that it is the industry wide practice to have concrete kennels as opposed to a dirt floored kennel when you have a large number of animals. That is what every vet. I have ever been to has recommended if you have a large volume of animals - in fact, that is usually what the vet. has - that or a portable kennel. In fact, the nicest stationary kennels I have ever seen, and we are talking show dogs worth thousands of $$$ here, all have concrete for that very reason, which is to prevent disease and keep the animals clean from the mud, dirst, insects that live in/on dirt, etc. So, it is not abuse in my eyes and the eyes of thousands of animal lovers and caretakers around the world to have a concrete kennel - it is humane.

I think you think I am saying that I think the animals should be thrown into a concrete cage and left there with nothing else. I am not saying that. Here is what I am not saying and, quite frankly and despite what you apparently think, never said or would say:

I am not condoning the animals being kept for the purposes of testing.

I am not saying the animals should have to sleep on the concrete floor.

I am not condoning IAMS' acts.

I am not saying the animals should be without a bed, blanket, a toy, etc.

I am not saying the animals should stay out in the freezing or hot weather if the kennel is outside.

All I am saying is if a large number of animals must be kept, the use of concrete is a humane feature because it helps stop disease from spreading. How can that possibly be a bad thing if a large number of animals must be kept.

Humane, my ass. Go to an animal shelter and look at how the animals live. No toys, no blanket, no bed, just concrete and a bowl of cheap, fat-filled crunchies. I find it ironic that institutions that promote kindness to animals keep animals in cages with nothing but concrete. If you're going to put animals in concrete prisons, give them beds, give them toys, give them blankets. Otherwise, get rid of them.

While you may feel that way, that is not how animal shelters and big business feel. They don't give a flying f*ck about the animals.

Can you not read what you so quickly quote? If you had, you would see I am not saying that the use of concrete alone is humane. Once again and for the final time, all I am saying is the use of concrete is more humane than dirt - so I am happy they are at least doing that - trust me when I say a dirt floored kennel is FAR worse than a concrete one. I think there ought to be a bed, a toy, etc., in the concrete kennel and have never said differently. So, please stop acting as if I am saying only using concrete and throwing the animal in there with nothing else is humane and then going on some unrelated rant about how animal shelters act while quoting and responding to my post which clearly had nothing to do with that. I am not saying that. I think I have said more times than once now that I agree with you that putting an animal alone in a concrete, much less any, kennel is a bad thing - there needs to be a bed, a toy, etc. - and I am all for the proper care of animals. Yet, you assert or imply I am not saying that - whatever.

And, once again, this is what I said in my response to your long diatribe:

"While you may feel that way, that is not how animal shelters and big business feel. They don't give a flying f*ck about the animals."

This is, I think, an interesting aside, while I was in Italy and Greece a few weeks ago, I had forgotten that both countries have packs of dogs that run wild in the streets. It was kind of disarming to see. I mean I was on top of the Acropolis and on the way down there were like 10 dogs gathered in a group under a tree - in a NATIONAL MONUMENT. Then, they come up to the table at some outside cafes. Same thing in Italy. It was very strange to see these dogs, some clearly sick, running about everywhere.

:cool:

My children...
 

also known as our cats NEVER eat IAMS, They prefer to eat either Whiskas or Friskies...Bring home another type of food and they will get their picket signs out and go on strike, They have before (The finicky lil' pains-in-the-asses!!!)

But at least none of the 4 members of the T.H.D.S. (Total Household Domination Society) are overweight or sick...But they do love to make our blood pressure rise on a near daily basis.


Brian j.

Gaw, that's kinda freaky. One time here I saw a group of stray dogs that had "packed up" (formed a pack) attack some cats in the yard around the corner from me. They tossed one pretty good, and kinda got another one...But I was there and so was someone else and we hit them (with our hands) and screamed at them. They actually weren't real scared of us, but they dropped the cats - we called animal control. I was freaked out because my cats live right around the corner...Dog packs can be dangerous...(note to everyone - I love dogs, so much - just not stray ones that form packs to attack and eat other peoples pets - well, i love them too, I just don't want them out roaming and stray like that...)
AMber

Omigod, Friskies must have crack in it - my cats are loathe to eat anything else. Of course, they always want the "sliced, prime filet" kind of friskies, too :laugh: Stupid PITB (pain in the butts) my siamese is especially bad and finicky, which is the worst ever, because he's also a CONTINUAL MIAOWER...and his voice is like Fran Drescher's :laugh: Luckily, none of my cats get along together, so they can't link up and go on strike, nor can they "totally dominate the house" except for by sheer volumes of fur shed....oh, and the barf...don't you love when cats barf?
AMber

Well...
 

I am sure Friskies is made from crack, Because Patches (The Crack Head Calico...One of our cats, And I will name her what the hell ever I want!!!!) loves the stuff...She awaits a bowl of Friskies like a crack-head awaiting another hit of the pipe :lol:

Shed? Shioban (aka Woodchuck...Our cats have the most original names ever!!!) sheds more than the other 3 a-holes do combined. Never knew Scottish Folds to lose so much of their coat, But she loses it in lump that look like gigantic dust bunnies...But she is perfectly healthy, Just has very fine hair in her coat.

Brian j.

:laugh: My siamese is like a fur factory, I could make finely woven soft jackets out of it - of course, it seems worse cause it's light colored and most of my clothes are black...When I was little, we had a cat named "Manude" (muh-newd) and another siamese named "Ratsis" those were good...Mine are just named Spanky, Vinnie, and Friendl right now...but Vinnie Ghidossi is a good name - specially cause he's such a loudmouth Italian Siamese... :laugh:
I love your cat stories....
AMber

Diss this is SO not true. I volunteered in Phoenix for an animal rescue organization where we did euthanasia list rescue from the county pounds. Those kennel workers at Animal Control had certain nasty jobs they had to do, ie, euthanize for space, etc., but they most assuredly cared about the animals. There were many times when the kennel workers would call us and beg us to come and rescue a dog that they were going to have to euthanize and really didn't want to. It happened OFTEN. The problem is not the kennel workers who don't care about the animals, it's the lousy owners who don't spay or neuter their pets (when they are not going to be show animals), backyard breeders who think it's "cute" to go through the kitten/puppy experience and on and on. Those are truly the people who don't give a flying f*ck about the animals, not the shelter people.

Thank you Patti - I was gonna reply with a similar story about how many shelter people work closely with the rescue people of each breed, how they care for animals, etc. And - the rescue people of each breed are often great in placing all animals regardless of breed. I think in smaller towns, it is FAR easier to care for the animals than it is in a big city, where space is so limited. I also hate having to spay or neuter an animal, but I see that it is the humane thing to do because the only way to stop much of the neglect is through population control. Again, I hate saying that, but I have been around long enough to know it is true. I also hate that animals are euthanized, but the alternate is to have them die in the wild, attack other animals for food, spread disease, etc. So, I recognize it is necessary and, more importantly, that horror could be avoided if people recognized the need to not allow their animals to breed for fun, etc. And - blind breeding can result in sickly dogs that can only breed worse - I know the law of nature suggests the strong will survive, but I have seen it happen too many times not to know that preventing it is better than watching a sick animal suffer. I know this is a touchy subject and that people think differently on the poplulation control arguments. But, these are my feelings and they are offered respectfully, etc.

So, while I am sure some abuse goes on, what I have seen tells me it, thankfully, is not all shelters. I am glad your experience was the same!!!!!!!

As for Big Business - many companies do care. But and sadly, not all of them do. And then there is the whole using animals to test for medicine. If my child was dying, I have to say I would want the animals used. That is not fair I know, but it is how I feel. I do think, however, that the make up companies and other such things ought to be forbidden from testing on animals - period. Again, touchy subject - so, respectfully, that is how I feel.

That is so sad. What is wrong with people? :(

As for Italy, I can say that in the summer we have a problem with people abandoning their dogs, usually on the highways, and it can happen that they form a group and become quite dangerous. But it's quite uncommon to meet groups of dogs in the central streets of our cities. Can I ask you where have you seen them?
What we do have everywhere are cats because there's an old and tradition of ladies feeding them. Anna Magnani did it too, every night. :angel:

Romy

Well, historically, people have mainly cared about people, and barely that. We're just greedy, murdering, power/resource hungry bastards, as a race...as far as i can tell...and enough is never enough...cynical? naaaaaah... :p
AMber

Anna - what an actress...I think of her as the Bette Davis, of uh, people who aren't Bette Davis :p - the coliseum cats and all that, right? Plus, cats don't pack up and become dangerous...if only the pack dogs would just eat rats, mice, and pidgeons...
AMber

First, I have to confess I haven't read these articles. I'm taking y'all's word for it. :angel: I just can't read sad animal stories...


This makes sense, since my cat actually gained half a pound in a year while on it! The vet recommended it. :shrug: I just assumed it was lack of activity.

Thanks for the suggestions!

Carol

I saw them in Messina (Sicily) and in Naples - even in the Pompeian ruins, which was a little weird :laugh: The mot I saw though clearly was in Athens!!!!

Yes, and there's another place with Roman ruins where she always went to bring food, that even today looks like an exclusive club for cats only. :cool:

Romy

But that was scheduled, we love to thrill tourists ;)

Romy

Well, the adorable Italian lady who was our guide was like "these dogs are the direct descendants of the actual Pompeian (sp.?) dogs" :laugh: