posted by davidt on Thursday January 08 2004, @08:00AM
Michael McGraw / PETA writes:

For Immediate Release:
January 7, 2004

Contact:
Michael McGraw 757-622-7382

MORRISSEY RAISES VOICE AGAINST IAMS’ DEADLY EXPERIMENTS ON DOGS AND CATS
Morrissey Takes Break From Recording New Album to Boost PETA Campaign

London — Morrissey has a bone to pick with pet-food maker Iams. The brooding pop genius and former lead singer of The Smiths has joined PETA’s campaign against Iams and vows to boycott the company until it stops conducting cruel and deadly experiments on dogs and cats. Taking a break from recording his new album—his first in more than five years—the famously shy musician brandished a handmade sign reading, “We Hate Iams,” and posed with three pampered pooches in an exclusive picture for the February 2004 issue of Index magazine. Morrissey and Index have given the image to PETA for use in its Iams Campaign.
       
Why are Morrissey and PETA fed up with Iams? 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. PETA’s 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 couldn’t bark
• Workers’ reports of a live kitten who was washed down a drain
• Kennels that were extremely hot in the summer and near freezing in the winter
• Dogs being force-fed vegetable oil through tubes inserted down their throats

“Animal lovers unwittingly fund horrendous cruelty to dogs and cats when they buy Iams products, and we’re thrilled that Morrissey is helping PETA get the message out,” says Mary Beth Sweetland, senior vice president of PETA’s Research & Investigations Department. “Animals shouldn’t live in squalor and misery for the sake of Iams’ profits.”

Broadcast-quality footage of animals in an Iams contract laboratory is available. For more information, please visit PETA’s Web site IamsCruelty.com. A copy of Morrissey’s anti-Iams photo is available at www.peta2.com.


Click PETA2.com "Join Morrissey in Speaking Out Against Iams' Cruel Animal Tests" page for enlargement or here

---
Margaret also sends the link:

MORRISSEY JOINS NEW PETA CAMPAIGN AFTER LEARNING OF ATROCITIES - SF Gate Daily Dish section (Jan. 7, 2004)
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  • "Morrissey Takes Break From Recording New Album to Boost PETA Campaign"

    No breaks! Get back to recording that album we've waited long enough!
    Anonymous -- Thursday January 08 2004, @08:10AM (#83520)
    • Re:No breaks! by Almodis (Score:1) Thursday January 08 2004, @08:18AM
  • my mum feeds Eukanuba to her dogs
    Anonymous -- Thursday January 08 2004, @08:30AM (#83526)
  • I am so proud to be a fan of Morrissey.

    I almost cried when reading this report, however! Who would have thought that animals are tortured in such a way??? Morrissey is a gentleman to be reckoned with.

    Truly,
    Ken Stavitzke
    sycophantic_slag -- Thursday January 08 2004, @08:32AM (#83527)
    (User #3940 Info)
    "And I just can't explain/ So I won't even try to."
  • I'M FURIOUS. That's what I've been feeding my kitten! I had no idea!

    I think I'm just going to start feeding her cooked vegetables and eggs, because who else in the pet food market could be doing this? I've always been careful with what I feed my cats, and Iams seemed to care, too.

    What about Science Diet?? Do they do this, too?? Aren't the people who put Science Diet out vets??

    I'm so upset I'm shaking. How could anybody be so fucking cruel?

    YES WE DO HATE IAMS.
    hand in glove -- Thursday January 08 2004, @08:42AM (#83528)
    (User #827 Info)
    "Sometimes things fall apart so that better things can fall together" - Marilyn Monroe
    • Re:What?? by Anonymous (Score:0) Thursday January 08 2004, @11:37PM
  • Is it me or does Moz look as if he trimmed a couple pounds during the recording of the new album? If my eyes aren't deceiving me, good for him! Viva Mozzer!
    SeaDocked -- Thursday January 08 2004, @09:02AM (#83531)
    (User #7779 Info)
    Boxing Depression with a Southpaw fist...
  • ...And those dogs took a break from playing chess. Apparently.

    But...I mean...What's wrong with taking vocal chords out... of humans, of course?
    ;0°
    lady Fairfax -- Thursday January 08 2004, @09:06AM (#83532)
    (User #9009 Info)
    Voyage to the Bottom of Morrissey
  • I admire Moz for coming out against animal cruelty at this time. I am truly shocked that Iams supports such barbaric behaviour. I plan to spread the word to my friends, the few I have left anyway.
    Mulder4truth -- Thursday January 08 2004, @09:22AM (#83534)
    (User #9608 Info)
  • This is good to know. The advertising they do on television always left a bad impression on me, they try and make you feel like you're doing your pet a disservice if you're not using their brand, it supposedly being the most nutritionally/healthy
    pet food available.
    I've never been much of an activist but it's a New Year and I've decided to send away for those stickers and wreck some havoc the next time I'm at PetSmart shopping for my cats supper!
    ScottyK -- Thursday January 08 2004, @09:45AM (#83537)
    (User #7165 Info)
    Meet me in the alley
  • First of all, Animal Cruelty is sick, because like babies (and unlike most grown adult humans), animals cannot talk and voice their discontent. They rely on us for protection & sanctuary. This is especially true regarding domesticated animals. I cried last night because I was thinking about my dog (who lived to be 15), 'cause he had an acute problem with fleas and he must have suffered greatly, and I don't feel I did enough to alleviate his pain. He passed on several years ago.

    I am so proud to be a Morrissey fan when he uses his celebrity, not to whine about himself or other artists or the music industry or the mean journalists, but in this manner for a cause that, whether you are vegetarian or carnivore, is just.

    Second, Moz is no dumb dumb. He needs some press now, and he's doing what he needs to in order to get that bit of attention in his way. Wonderful.

    Third, he looks great.

    For all the love we show him, he takes quite a few knocks here as well. Let us rejoice today, because our guy really is the very best.
    Belligerent Ghoul -- Thursday January 08 2004, @09:56AM (#83540)
    (User #9224 Info)
    There is a light that never goes out...
  • What about Whiskas? I have 8 cats for heaven's sake and I NEVER eat at home. What can I give them, Mozzie?
    Anonymous -- Thursday January 08 2004, @09:58AM (#83541)
  • "...and vows to boycott the company until it stops conducting cruel and deadly experiments on dogs and cats."

    Until? Such a reprehensible offence - in my opinion - should never be forgiven.

    I shall never, ever serve any animal Iams again!
    haze <[email protected]> -- Thursday January 08 2004, @10:22AM (#83544)
    (User #1115 Info)
    myspace.com/deathwrites
  • This goes to show why Morrissey is indeed a great MAN! I for one, will do the same and boycott IAMS.

    P.S. Great picture, he absolutely looks good but,
    then again, he always has!!
    sonnet29 -- Thursday January 08 2004, @10:34AM (#83548)
    (User #4574 Info)
    My love, wherever you are, Whatever you are...Don't lose faith...I know it's gonna happen someday...
  • http://www.bbc.co.uk/6music/music_news/musicnews1.shtml Return of the

    Rusholme Ruffian
    Published 08 01 04

    Morrissey's first album for seven years will be called You Are The Quarry. It'll come out on Attack records in April - the first fruit of
    thedeal he signed last year with Sanctuary.

    Moz and his band recorded almost thirty songs at Hook End Manor in Oxfordshire with producer Jerry Finn, and they've now been whittled down to the final set.

    Guitarist Alan Whyte told 6 Music a few of the unmistakeably Morrissey-esque titles, which include My Life Is A Series Of People
    Saying Goodbye, Teenage Dad On His Estate, Don't Make Fun Of Daddy's Voice, I Have Forgiven Jesus and How Can Anybody Know How I Feel.

    Alan told 6 Music: "It's gonna be a great album. I think the fans will be really really excited. I personally think it's the best Morrissey album to date.
    It's kind of like a cross between Your Arsenal and Vauxhall and I musically - there's real variety there. There are some slow
    songs, some uptempo ones and a few real tough-sounding tracks."
    nonesoever -- Thursday January 08 2004, @11:23AM (#83550)
    (User #8448 Info)
    "... turn popular song into sickness"
  • I don't see anything in this PRESS RELEASE by PETA to back up their allegations.

    Other than PETA's claim, "For nearly 10 months in 2002 and early 2003, a PETA investigator went undercover at an Iams contract testing laboratory" I don't see any independent collaboration of these allegations.

    How do you know the videotape is authentic? Why hasn't PETA turned over said evidence to the proper authorities? I live in the ghetto and have called Animal Cruelty numerous times. Each call was followed up based on my word alone. Had I videotaped my neighbor hitting her dog with a shovel, charges would have been filed.

    So many media hoaxes & smear campaigns are mounted without a shred of actual evidence given. I would be careful to join any organized protest without first researching the facts for myself. Don't believe everything you read.

    I'm certain a character assassination on me will ensue as I dare to question PETA. Everyone is accountable, especially those who hold others accountable. Believe it or not, charitable organizations have held individuals and corporations at ransom because false allegations were threatened....
    texaho -- Thursday January 08 2004, @12:00PM (#83556)
    (User #438 Info)
  • when he's sticking up for animals.

    Love you Moz.
    xoxo
    jypu -- Thursday January 08 2004, @12:28PM (#83567)
    (User #348 Info)
  • And IAMS...how cruel of you.
    king leer -- Thursday January 08 2004, @12:29PM (#83568)
    (User #80 Info)
  • Thank you for posting this, and thank you to Moz for being a spokesperson for this campaign and getting the word out! I think he's the perfect person to represent PETA on this issue, since almost *everybody* knows his stance on animal rights, and he has so many rabid and dedicated fans to spread the word.

    Luckily, my cat has never liked Iams, and perhaps this is the reason why?

    I've sent this info out to a bunch of my friends, and judging from the response they are all as shocked and appalled as I am. one friend gets his pet food from a lady who owns a "health food" store for pets here in San Francisco, and she puts out a list of friendly and not-so-friendly pet food companies. If anybody is interested I could e-mail that info when i get it.
    glam72 -- Thursday January 08 2004, @12:56PM (#83571)
    (User #5468 Info)
  • I think this is great, as the rest said. I hope we all make sure to tell others about this stuff.
    I for one know of a very nice lady with three cats and two dogs who feeds them Iams food and I know she will be up in arms as soon as I tell her.

    But how do you guys feel about the appearance that Morrissey is also using this to help promote his new album? I guess if he's gonna start doing media more anyway, it's good if part of his agenda is to help inform about an atrocity. But it looks like he's also thinking about album sales here.
    LoafingOaf <reversethis-{moc ... otstnilfcitnarf}> -- Thursday January 08 2004, @01:43PM (#83575)
    (User #778 Info)
    Fuck it, Dude. Let's go bowling.
  • Me and my friend once shyly went to protest Petco, standing outside and giving out PETA's anti-Petco flyers to anyone who went in. We're both vegans, him more extreme than I. We also went to protest the circus and they made us wear these dopey big signs with things like "Pain Death Agony" written on them. That didn't last long, needless to say.

    But go Morrissey. Right on.
    xLoveletterx -- Thursday January 08 2004, @03:38PM (#83585)
    (User #6676 Info)
  • These Quixotic campaigns turn me off
    Anonymous -- Thursday January 08 2004, @03:49PM (#83587)

  • for that informing PETA email.
    Davy_Havok -- Thursday January 08 2004, @04:53PM (#83592)
    (User #3893 Info | http://blogawayla.com/)
  • Without wanting to try and justify anyone's actions, it's worth noting that it wasn't actually an Iams lab ... it was a lab which Iams contract out. It wouldn't actually be run by Iams staff, so they could (possibly) not have any idea what the conditions were like.

    Out of interest, here's a question for pet owners:

    If you're a vegetarian, do you have an issue with feeding your dog or cat animal products?
    LawrenceM -- Thursday January 08 2004, @06:22PM (#83596)
    (User #3228 Info | http://listen.to/orangejuice)
    "I wore my fringe like Roger McGuinn"
  • Hey ya'll,

    I've been--and PETA has been--a big fan of Morrissey for years. His music and his personal convictions have been an inspiration. Now, I must say I'm a fan of his fans as well :) Your positive response to Morrisey's involvement and your genuine interest in stopping Iams' cruelty makes me very glad. If you're angry over Iams tests, please contact the company and let them know. Tell them you won't be buying Iams until they end all laboratory testing on animals. Contact info for Iams and P&G in the U.S., as well as Iams in the U.K. and Canada is below. If you have any questions or want to get more involved in the campaign, feel free to contact me.

    Thanks again. Ya'll are the best.

    Allison Ezell
    PETA
    [email protected]
    757-622-7382 ext. 1460

    Jeffrey P. Ansell, President
    Iams Company
    7250 Poe Ave.
    Dayton, OH 45414-5801
    1-800-675-3849
    937-898-7387
    [email protected]

    A.G. Lafley, CEO
    Procter & Gamble Co.
    1 Procter & Gamble Plz.
    Cincinnati, OH 45202
    1-800-543-1745

    Bill Miller, Director of Sales
    Iams Canada
    920 Gana Ct.
    Mississauga, ON L5S 1Z4
    1-800-658-5657 (press 5 for the name directory)
    905-565-4711 (fax)

    Managing Director
    Iams UK Ltd.
    Proctor & Gamble
    The Heights, Brooklands Weybridge
    Surrey KT13 0XP
    UK: +44 (0)116 282 100
    PetaAllison -- Thursday January 08 2004, @08:08PM (#83601)
    (User #9691 Info)
  • do they sell that dog/catfood in Europe [no uk],
    maybe another brandname?

    hand over the stickers!
    Celibate Cry <[email protected]> -- Thursday January 08 2004, @11:09PM (#83617)
    (User #220 Info)
    and the hills are alive with celibate cries
    • Re:Iams by Celibate Cry (Score:1) Saturday January 10 2004, @01:03AM
  • oh jesus get over it... theyre just dogs and cats wheres all the outrage when PEOPLE go hungry or are tortured? blah blah its so useless spending your lifes energy making sure other people dont mistreat animals where do you draw the line? where all all the people speaking out about the mistreatment of fish or lobsters or ants I guess they arent cute and cuddly enough

    I love morrissey but man i get tired of his wacky behavior...

    ps morrissey likes/wears leather oh i guess cows arent cute enough?
    Anonymous -- Friday January 09 2004, @12:16AM (#83620)
    • Re:boo freakin hoo by clueless_joe (Score:0) Friday January 09 2004, @03:04AM
      • prehaps aslo MORISEY buy a verry old lether jacket from an animel which die befoare he become vegetaran!!!

        …let me see if I get your logic — if I became vegetarian (once more) today, I could still eat the meat already there in my fridge?

        Curt Woyte -- Friday January 09 2004, @04:27AM (#83636)
        (User #8765 Info)
    • Re:boo freakin hoo (Score:2, Informative)

      Well, Moz likes leather because of its iconic look, but he doesn't wear it. He used to wear fake leather. Which does exist, and it's nearly indistinguishable (is that English?) from the real stuff, only made from plastics. He stopped wearing that because everytime he went out in pleather, some idiot who thought it was real leather ripped it off his back before he could even say anything. This would wear me down, too.
      Curt Woyte -- Friday January 09 2004, @04:20AM (#83634)
      (User #8765 Info)
    • Re:boo freakin hoo by Anonymous (Score:0) Monday January 12 2004, @06:54AM
  • grat picture: handsome, cute, angry.
    i like tillmans, i love morrissey: i adore the combination of the two.
    Anonymous -- Friday January 09 2004, @05:01AM (#83639)
  • Yes, they were sponsored for years by Iams and had pawmarks on their old tacky shirt.
    Anonymous -- Friday January 09 2004, @04:55PM (#83751)
  • Instead of bitching and moaning about how IAMS treats dogs and cats, adopt a pet from a local Animal Rescue/Shelter. They need homes and love.

    http://dir.yahoo.com/Science/Biology/Zoology/Animals__Insects__and_Pets/Organiza tions/Humane_and_Rescue_Societies/

    Peta has militant tactics and spout off propaganda every chance they get.
    broccoli_spears -- Sunday January 11 2004, @08:51PM (#83872)
    (User #3308 Info)
    We don't do crack. We don't do that. Crack is whack. - Whitney Houston
    • Re:Ok... by Anonymous (Score:0) Sunday January 11 2004, @09:07PM
      • Re:Ok... by broccoli_spears (Score:1) Monday January 12 2004, @01:57AM
    • Re:Ok... by marie51 (Score:1) Wednesday March 17 2004, @12:51PM
  • Far from my favourite paper, but still worthy of note:

    27 Jan 2002: Sunday Mirror - Page 31 - (322 words)
    42 pups mutilated, 28 kittens given lethal injections and 15 beagles put to death so .. you can buy PET FOOD: HORROR BEHIND HUGE INDUSTRY
    By: MIKE HAMILTON
    DOZENS of puppies and kittens have been mutilated and killed in research commissioned by some of the world's leading pet food firms.

    The animals were subjected to a range of horrific experiments by US scientists developing products for Britain's pounds 1.8billion-a-year industry.

    One of the most alarming tests was commissioned by Hill's Pet Nutrition, which produces Hill's Scientific Diet and Prescription Diet. It involved feeding 42 puppies a special diet during a five-week trial. At the end of the experiment the dogs - average age nine weeks - had claws, teeth and testes removed for zinc analysis. It's believed the dogs then died or were put down.

    In another experiment, commissioned by the US IAMS company which makes the popular pet food range, 28 female kittens were deliberately made to suffer kidney failure and then each had a kidney removed.

    Two of the cats died as a result of the surgery, and the others suffered weight loss and severe vomiting before being killed by lethal injection.

    A third experiment, again for IAMS , involved 15 beagles which had their bowels cut out for analysis. The dogs were then killed by lethal injection.

    Sarah Kite, of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection, said: 'These companies claim to care about animals but behind the scenes they are involved in nasty experiments.

    'Pet owners will be horrified to find the same people who claim to care are carrying out painful tests on animals. The findings show the hypocrisy of the pet food trade.'

    Liberal Democrat MP Norman Baker said: 'People will be horrified by companies taking action which is cruel, heartless and contrary to the image they present in public.'

    Last night a spokeswoman for IAMS said: 'Veterinary research is conducted by leading universities and vet schools, and IAMS publish the results to benefit all cats and dogs. Our vet diets have significantly improved the lives of thousands of cats and dogs in the UK.'

    Hill's Pet Nutrition was not available for comment.
    Anonymous -- Monday January 12 2004, @03:06AM (#83898)
  • I will never feed my cats Iams ever again, thanks to Moz. I wonder if Moz has any leads on an environmentally/animal friendly vegetarian cat food???
    MozArmy -- Thursday February 19 2004, @12:24PM (#87157)
    (User #9978 Info)


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