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PETA Stages "Snarl-In" in Busy Downtown Tampa
Canine Chorus Part of International Campaign Against Iams Animal Tests
Tampa, FL (PRWEB) January 25, 2004 --Joined by barking canine companions and waving signs that read, "Iams: Stop Torturing Animals," members of PETA will stage a "snarl-in" at the Franklin Street Mall Esplanade in an effort to persuade shoppers to leave Iams pet food on store shelves until the company stops conducting tests on animals in laboratories. The protest is part of PETAs international campaign against Dayton, Ohio-based Iams, which was launched this summer after years of failed negotiations:
Date: Monday, January 26
Time: 12 noon
Place: Franklin Street Mall Esplanade, south side
A recent PETA undercover investigation revealed deplorable conditions at an Iams contract laboratory. 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. PETAs investigator found the following:
| | - Dogs and cats confined to small, barren cages, some for up to six years
- Dogs vocal cords surgically cut out so that they couldnt bark
- Dogs with untreated ear infections, rotten teeth, and injured paws from having to balance on metal-slatted cages and lie on cold cement
- Workers reports of a live kitten who was washed down a drain
- Terrified, unsocialized animals cowering in their cages
- Extreme heat and humidity in kennels during summer months and near-freezing temperatures in winter
- Dogs being force-fed vegetable oil through tubes inserted down their throats
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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 the Iams Web site regarding the care provided to the cats and dogs used in the companys research.
"Were howling mad that Iams is causing misery and death for dogs and cats while feeding its customers a line of fiction," says Mary Beth Sweetland, senior vice president of PETAs Research & Investigations Department. "Dogs and cats shouldnt be forced to suffer for Iams profits."
Broadcast-quality footage of animals in an Iams contract laboratory is available. For more information, please visit PETAs Web site IamsCruelty.com.
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