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news release

ROOFTOP DEMO HIGHLIGHTS IAMS/P&g'S CRUEL ANIMAL TESTING POLICIES

BELGIAN PROTESTERS STRIKE EARLY AHEAD OF GLOBAL BOYCOTT PROCTER & GAMBLE DAY VIII ON 21 MAY 2004

On Wednesday 19th May members of Belgian organisation BiteBack conducted a daring protest at the HQ of Iams/Euknuba Belgium as part of this year's Global Boycott Procter & Gamble Day VIII.

A protester and activist in a dog costume managed to get to the roof of the Belgian HQ of Iams/Eukanuba in Gent.

For over an hour they held banners denouncing cruel experiments conducted on animals by Iams in the development of the 'pet' food, and the routine poisoning and killing of animals in the development of new products and ingredients by household /cosmetic product giant Procter & Gamble (makers of Daz, Flash, Fairy, Pantene and Max Factor, amongst other famous brand names). The protesters were not arrested and were allowed to speak to the media: local TV (working together with VTM national news), the major local paper ' The Gentenaar', and the Belgium wire service was there too for an article.

There are over 90 events taking place all over the UK on Friday 21 and Saturday 22 May 2004 on this Global Day of Action to urge compassionate consumers to boycott all Procter & Gamble products until they permanently cease poisoning and killing animals in the development of their new products and ingredients. There will be protests at P&G sites in Harrogate, Bournemouth and Weybridge on Friday 21 May. There are further events planned for dozens of US states, Belgium, Italy, France, Switzerland, Slovenia, Eire, Brazil, Argentina, South Korea, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand.

A recent PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) undercover investigation revealed highly abusive conditions at an Iams contract laboratory in the United States. At least 27 dogs were killed, while others died of illnesses that went untreated, despite assurances from Iams that no animal in any Iams test would ever be deliberately killed. PETA's investigator also found the following:

• Dogs indefinitely confined to small cages in dungeon-like rooms
• Dogs whose vocal cords had been 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 force-fed vegetable oil through tubes inserted down their
  throats

"Iams is cruelly imprisoning dogs and cats in real-life tests while feeding its customers fiction about caring for animals", says PETA UK Director Dawn Carr.

Max Newton of Uncaged Campaigns says, "New companion-animal foods need to be tested at home, not on caged, lonely prisoner dogs and cats in laboratories hidden from the public."

Related Links

• Background to the Global Boycott P&G Day
• P&G action
• Report and photos from 2003
• Report and photos from 2002
• Report and photos from 2001
• Please sign our online petition pledging to boycott Procter & Gamble products until they cease testing on animals. The petition is at www.ethical-business.com/petitions.asp?pet_id=111.
• See also www.pandgkills.com and www.IamsCruelty.co.uk.

Uncaged Campaigns 20.05.04