The Iams Company has long considered itself to be a steadfast friend of the sporting community. Any notion to the contrary is unfounded and we apologize for any misunderstanding that has arisen among hunters and sporting dog enthusiasts.

The Iams Company is not anti-hunting. We are pro-dog.

Our philosophy has not changed when it comes to our support of the sporting community. Moreover, we would never let anything stand in the way of our commitment and dedication to setting the highest nutritional standards for high-performance sporting dogs the world over. This is our business. This is what we are all about. We are a pet food company. As such, we choose not to take a corporate position on hunting simply because the issue is beyond the bounds of what we believe ourselves to be qualified to address as a pet food company. Again, our focus is on the dog.

Since 1946 when animal nutritionist Paul Iams founded The Iams Company in a small feed mill outside Dayton, Ohio, we have been dedicated to providing world-class quality foods and pet care products. We focus on reaching dogs in all walks of lifewhether pointing dogs or retrievers, search and rescue dogs, working dogs, assistance dogsand above all, canine companions for men, women and children, young and old. We like to think we help strengthen the cherished, age-old bond between a dog and his human by providing a dog with optimum health care through superior nutrition. How a dog owner chooses to embrace his dog as a family pet and/or sporting companion is a private relationship, but we can all agree on the need to do everything we can to help dogs live longer and healthier lives.

We have taken this opportunity to address The Iams Companys involvement in Pet Fest America, a six-city tour that has now concluded. Among the sponsors was the Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), other pet products and local shelter organizations trying to find homes for pets. The Iams Company furnished the Iams SuperDogs, a canine agility and performance troupe that served as the entertainment for families and fans of companion animals who bought tickets for the event. No donation check was written to the HSUS by Iams. No wildlife issues were addressed at the event, and no legislative literature was distributed.

We have announced that we will no longer sponsor this event.

The Iams Company would not endorse an event that supported anti-hunting causes.

Since early stirrings of controversy became audible in January 2004, we have listened attentively to many people who have voiced concern over this issue. We are one of the few companies left that honestly and openly communicates directly with our consumers via e-mail and our 1-800 numbers. The message from the sporting community was loud and clear, and we can assure you that we will more closely scrutinize the sponsorship lists for events we consider in the future. While reaching pet-friendly audiences is important, its also important not to create any confusion about what Iams and Eukanuba brands represent.

Just so there is no uncertainty, the best way we know to set the record straight is to let our tradition of support speak for itself. We are proud sponsors of:

AKC Master National
AKC National Gun Dog Championship
AKC Pointer National Championship
Brittany National Amateur Championship
Canadian National Amateur Retriever Championship
Canadian Open Retriever Championship
ESPN Great Outdoor Games
Eukanuba Beagle Championship
Lookout Southern Classic
German Wirehaired Pointer Nationals & Specialty
GSPCA National Specialty
Master National Retriever Championship
National Amateur Retriever Championship
National Bird Dog Championship
National German Pointing Dog Championship
National Open Retriever Championship
National Retriever Championship
NGSPA Championship
Official U.S. Gun Dog Team, 2004 National Countrysports Fair, Northern Ireland
Vizsla Nationals & Specialty
Weimaraner Nationals & Winter Specialty

The Iams Company is the only dog food company to support Armbruster Test, an international hunt test for Deutsche Drahthaars.

The Iams Company is the only dog food company to financially support the quail restoration project on the Ames Plantation, home to the National Bird Dog Championship and for many years we have commissioned original oil paintings by Ross B. Young of the National Champion Bird Dog.

We conducted the Iams Retriever Symposium for breeders and trainers of retrievers and also hold Team Eukanuba Seminars around the country.

We support Quail Unlimited, Pheasants Forever, The Ruffed Grouse Society and Ducks Unlimited.

We publish Care and Nutrition of the Sporting Dog, a manual for hunters and field trialers.

For over 20 years, The Iams Company has been the acknowledged leader in nutritional research for performance dogs. We developed the only "in the field" research study of pointing dogs and hunting performance.

We thank the Editor for granting this opportunity to speak directly to the subscribers and readers of this publication. We appreciate the opportunity to restate our mission, To enhance the well-being of dogs and cats by providing world-class quality foods and pet care products and to reaffirm our commitment to you, our friends in the sporting community, now and for years to come.

--The Iams Company