Iams suspends laboratory contract

LAST month Iams pet food company suspended all research work done on its behalf by a laboratory accused by an animal welfare organisation of mistreating dogs and other pet class animals.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said its investigators had found dogs and cats at the laboratory confined to small cages, dogs' vocal cords surgically cut so they couldn't bark and dogs with untreated ear infections and injured paws.

Iams, the Dayton, Ohaio-based pet food division of Procter and Gamble, said research activities were suspended with the laboratory until such time as an investigation of the laboratory's procedures was carried out.

Iams' representative would not identify the specific laboratory, but said that nutritional studies being conducted for the company at the laboratory may possibly have been conducted against the company's research policy.

"Our mission is to enrich the well-being of dogs and cats," said Iams' president Jeffrey Ansell. "Our standards are high and our policy is clear. We will not tolerate inhumane treatment of animals in our care, including those at facilities that work for us under contract."