Monterey, Calif. — PETA had hoped to have its new anti-Iams billboard displayed in Monterey, named one of the top-10 dog-friendly cities in the U.S. by Dogfriendly.com, but area outdoor advertisers want no part of it. The billboard shows a caged dog with the tagline "Warning: Iams Is Dangerous to Dogs and Cats. Iams Funds Cruel Experiments on Animals." The message refers to an undercover investigation at an Iams contract laboratory where at least 27 dogs were killed, while others died of illnesses that went untreated. A sales representative from Viacom Outdoor stated, "Unfortunately, this creative is not acceptable in any Viacom Outdoor markets, because it is considered too controversial." The ad is part of PETA’s international campaign launched in Iams’ hometown of Dayton, Ohio, in September, to protest the misery of animals who are neglected and killed in Iams’ crude "nutrition" tests.
Despite assurances from Iams that no animal in any Iams test would ever be deliberately killed, PETA’s investigator, who worked at the lab, found the following:
- Dogs and cats indefinitely confined to small cages in dungeon-like rooms
- Dogs’ vocal chords surgically cut out so that they couldn’t bark
- Dogs suffering from untreated ear infections, rotten teeth, and injured paws
- Workers’ reports of a live kitten who was washed down a drain
- Terrified, unsocialized animals cowering in their cages
- Kennels that were stifling during summer months and near freezing in winter
- Dogs being force-fed vegetable oil through tubes inserted down their throats
In June, PETA filed a formal complaint with the Federal Trade Commission against Iams and its parent company, Procter & Gamble, for making allegedly false claims on their Web sites regarding the care provided to the cats and dogs the company uses in its research. Broadcast-quality footage of animals in an Iams contract laboratory is available. For more information and to view the billboard, please visit PETA’s Web site IamsCruelty.com.
