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Public Debate Challenge Issued to Procter & Gamble

This Saturday, 14th July 2001, thousands of people across the world will hold protests against the animal testing practices of global corporation Procter & Gamble.

The protests mark the fifth annual Global Boycott Procter & Gamble Day, which is spearheaded by UK organisation Uncaged Campaigns and U.S. group In Defense of Animals.

Actions will include demonstrations at P&G facilities and supermarkets, and publicity events in town centres. Over 75 actions are planned in the UK alone in one of the country's biggest anti-cruelty drives. The campaign has attracted support from stars such as Sir Paul McCartney and Spike Milligan.

Procter & Gamble (P&G) poison and kill thousands of animals a year in tests for the development of cosmetics, toiletries, household products, foods and pharmaceuticals. Some P&G animal tests, such as those for cosmetics, would be illegal in the UK, yet the corporation still sells such products in the UK. The Day of Action aims to inform consumers that if they buy P&G products, then they would be supporting and endorsing cruelty to animals.

The campaign was given extra impetus following front page revelations in the Sunday Express of cruel and lethal experiments on cats and dogs conducted by P&G's pet food subsidiary Iams. Published studies describe the infliction of kidney failure, obesity, malnutrition, liver damage, severe allergies and allergic reactions, severe diarrhoea, severe skin disorders, lesions and skin wounds on conscious animals. Many cats and dogs died as a result or were killed for the purposes of the pet food studies.

At 11.30am on Friday 13th July, the eve of the Day of Action, Uncaged Campaigns will hold a wreath-laying ceremony outside P&G's headquarters in Newcastle-upon-Tyne (Cobalt 3, Silver Fox Way, Cobalt Business Park, Newcastle, NE27 0QN) in remembrance of the animals who have suffered and died at the hands of Procter & Gamble. A petition will be submitted to Procter & Gamble containing 100,000 signatures of members of the public who have pledged to boycott Procter & Gamble until the company stops vivisection. This brings the total number of 220,000, representing an estimated £10 million per year in lost business.

Uncaged Campaigns are also critical of P&G's spin, which tries to give the impression that the corporation is concerned to minimise animal testing. The campaign group believes that P&G exploits consumers' lack of knowledge of the issue with confusing half-truths and unsustainable denials of cruelty.

Dan Lyons, Director of Uncaged Campaigns, comments:

"We challenge P&G to an open, public debate so we can get at the truth beneath the spin. We want to scrutinise P&G's carefully-worded, stage-managed statements so that consumers can make fully-informed choices. We're confident that conscientious and responsible consumers will be appalled by the cruel practices of a company that effectively poisons innocent animals in the pursuit of profit. P&G's current practice is violent and fundamentally wrong. Our aim is to use ethical consumer pressure to persuade P&G to join the hundreds of decent product manufacturers that do not harm and kill animals."

For more information or interviews, contact Dan Lyons on 0114 2831155 or 07799 117694.

Notes for editors

1. P&G brands include Iams, Eukanuba, Sunny Delight, Fairy liquid, Ariel, Max Factor, Oil of Olay, Pantene Pro-V and many, many more.
2. Documentary evidence and other background information is available at www.uncaged.co.uk or on request.
3. This figure is calculated by working out average UK adult expenditure on P&G products and multiplying by 220,000.
4. Lawyers representing the Sunday Express have written to Procter & Gamble threatening legal action following claims by Iams that the paper had misrepresented the animal tests it had conducted. Ironically, the Sunday Express had diluted its descriptions of the experiments for fear of upsetting its readers.

Related Links

• P&G Day of Action - Background

Uncaged Campaigns 13.07.01

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