Local Shelter Wins £1,000 Grant For Sticking Up For Dogs And Cats Used In Laboratories
‘Happy Landings’ Won’t Support Pet-Food Maker Iams’ Cruel Experiments
For Immediate Release:
10 May 2005
Contact:
Yvonne Taylor 020 7357 9229, ext. 405
Stephanie Corrigan 020 7357 9229, ext. 225
Somerset – Happy Landings Animal Shelter has received a financial boost from PETA after making the decision not to promote or in any way support pet-food manufacturer Iams. Iams, a subsidiary of the consumer-product giant Procter & Gamble, conducts painful and often deadly laboratory tests on dogs, cats and other animals.
For years, Iams has bought public relations credit with animal lovers by providing needy animal shelters with promotion money and free or discounted food. But as a result of PETA’s vigorous campaign, more and more shelters are making the ethical choice to drop Iams. Happy Landings has decided not to promote or publicise Iams, use Iams food, request Iams donations, take Iams’ money, allow Iams to sponsor their events or pass out “Iams Starter Kits” to patrons – so PETA is trying to help them out.
A 10-month undercover investigation by PETA US at an Iams contract laboratory revealed that at least 27 dogs were killed in just one study, while others died of agonizing illnesses that could have been treated but were not. The investigator also found dogs and cats confined to small, barren cages – some for up to six years – workers’ reports of a live kitten who had been washed down a drain and dogs who were force-fed vegetable oil through tubes inserted down their throats.
Iams still do business with outside laboratories and also conducts studies on dogs and cats at is own facilities in the US – for foods that it sells here in the UK. By October 2006, Iams intends to move all testing to its own facility and more than double the number of cats and dogs it can now cage there. Iams admits that some cats and dogs spend their entire lives in its tests, which are not required by any law. PETA’s campaign has garnered support from Morrissey and The Pretenders’ Chrissie Hynde.
“More and more shelters are deciding to boycott Iams when they learn about the company’s cruel and unnecessary tests on animals”, says PETA Director Stephanie Corrigan. “Iams uses its profits to create misery for dogs and cats, but these shelters need funds for their vital work of protecting animals from harm.”
“Happy Landings didn’t need an incentive to boycott Iams as we already support PETA’s campaign 100 per cent – but we’re obviously delighted to have won this prize draw!”, said Happy Landings Director Liz Evans. “If people knew about the misery that goes into Iams food, they’d leave it on the shelf.”
For more information, please visit PETA’s Web site IamsCruelty.co.uk.
For information about the work of Happy Landings visit Animal-Welfare.org.uk.
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