Behind the Paw: the promised post
So, I asked and you guys answered: yes, you want to hear what Iams has to say about the “Iams Cruelty” PETA video fiasco from 2003. OK. You got it. I had to recruit Brody to sit with me for moral support, though.
It became quickly apparent after trying to present it in a coherent manner that the intricacies and nuances of something as complex as animal research protocols are not something that can be presented in one post. So I am going to break it down in a few pieces to make it a little more comprehensive, because I think it’s a discussion worth having- and not just as it pertains to Iams, but in general.
Today, a post dedicated solely to the PETA video. Then, a post about the current state of affairs at the Pet Health and Nutrition Center. They’ve come a long way since 2003. And last, a discussion about why research still exists at all.
So if you have 5 minutes, here’s the PETA video discussion. (Last 10 seconds are the best part.)
If you don’t have 5 minutes, here’s the Cliff Notes:
- In 2003, a PETA member applied for a job to develop an animal enrichment and socialization program for Iams research animals at a contract facility. Instead, they used the time to take hours of video of pets not only from Iams but from other companies there.
- The footage, depicting what was fairly standard procedures in an industrial research facility at the time, was edited in a manner to appear as dire and dastardly as possible.
- When Iams responded by addressing every criticism levelled by PETA (cutting ties with Sinclair, ending invasive testing, removing cages, providing socialization, training, and adoption) PETA ignored all of these improvements, because it’s much more lucrative for donation purposes to pretend things are still exactly as they were 10 years ago.
I don’t have any interest in this other than presenting the truth as I saw it. And while the state of affairs in 2003 could certainly use some improvement, they weren’t as horrid as they were made out to be.
In addition, I think it’s important to give credit where credit is due- and what Iams has done in the past decade to create a respectful animal care and use protocol is nothing short of excellent, which I hope you will agree with when you read that post.
Interesting stuff, all of it.
