With the good intention to stop animal cruelty in research and throughout society, some activists choose to institute either an organized or a personal boycott. Iams and Procter & Gamble have teamed with animal welfare experts from respected organizations and adopted principles that have been accepted worldwide as an effective way to achieve a more compassionate approach to studies that include animals with the ultimate goal of eliminating all animal testing. As part of its campaign to eliminate cruel animal testing, Iams encourages animal lovers to look for companies that have adopted similar approaches:

• Research involving animals is a last resort at P&G. It is only considered once every other reasonable option has been exhausted.
• The vast majority of our tests do not use animals. Whenever possible, we use computer models, synthetic materials, published scientific studies and what our consumers tell us about the products they use.
• We seek input from the world's leading experts to continuously improve our approach, and have stopped working with researchers who do not meet our high measures.
• We continue to foster independent review of our standards and inspection of our facilities by leaders in the field of animal care.

Promoting these values creates a positive approach rather than a boycott, which attempts to impose a penalty that likely misses the target if the goal is to create an environment where animal testing is discouraged.

For instance, a boycott against a well-tested pet food only penalizes the pet from getting nutrition directly from the source that identified an ingredient or formula that may help the dog or cat live a longer and healthier life. A boycott may encourage using products from a company that either doesn't have the improved formula, or has saved money by scrimping on research. This alternate brand may build a copy-cat formula based on published research, but quality may not be sufficient to get the same benefits. And after all, the non-tested brand is still basing its formula on published testing results.

Some boycotts have suggested that vegetarian pet food diets are a better option because of a lack of testing as well as a lack of animal protein in the formula. We would suggest consulting with a veterinarian before attempting such an experiment. Dogs and cats are carnivores. They thrive best on an animal protein-based diet, and in fact, cats are obligate carnivores and will die without access to the key nutrients taurine and arachadonic acid that are only found naturally in animal products. Trying to feed a vegetarian diet creates the complex and expensive task of supplementing the formula with added nutrients. These supplements can be hard to feed, and often they are made from the same animal sources that a boycott was trying to avoid in the first place.

Take a positive approach to promote animal welfare. Iams encourages animal lovers to become involved in the political process. Write letters to your congressmen encouraging them to help eliminate governmental animal testing requirements and to work toward finding animal testing alternatives.

Rather than a boycott, Iams encourages you to donate your money and your time to your local humane society or animal shelter where you can see the results of your efforts first-hand. Visit our Iams Animal Cruelty Petition page to learn how you can add your name to animal cruelty petitions.

Boycotts can be successful, but they can take several years to make a noticeable impact. If you write a letter to the head of an animal testing company instead, you may receive a response that the company understands your concerns and is examining and implementing alternatives. This can help you feel a more immediate sense of accomplishment than a boycott. Iams also encourages volunteering your time as a way to immediately feel that you are making a visible difference in the lives of animals in your community.