RMB Newsletter 8:4    Partners in crime

Dear Reader, Here’s the 2008 Christmas edition of the RMB Newsletter. What a year it’s been! Global warming, the US presidential election and the Global Financial Crisis fill the headlines. I wonder what 2009 has in store. Hopefully there’ll be a period of calm where the world and its people can spend time addressing the issues affecting our tenure of the planet, repairing frayed nerves and shaky finances. In a crisis ridden world it’s easy to see how the issue of pets and the diet they’re fed gets pushed off the agenda. That’s not to say the issues are unimportant —- just the opposite. The junk pet-food industry is said to be worth $30 billion annually. Who knows what the veterinary profession extracts from the community? The UK Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) reported that 70.1% of UK veterinary endeavour is spent treating pets. They omitted to mention that the majority of pets need the vet due to the effects of their modern junk pet-food diet. Ignore the maker’s instructions and put adulterated fuel in your motor car and soon you’ll need a mechanic. Forget to put oil in your sump and your engine, lacking essential lubrication, will seize. Pets need the right fuel and lubrication too. Fill them up with junk food and you overload their system with harmful chemicals. Forget to give carnivore pets a regular supply of raw meaty bones and their teeth become tartar encrusted and their gums rot —- leading to an array of further health problems. We know these things. The world’s veterinary authorities know these things –- at least since 1992 when all English speaking veterinary schools and veterinary associations and the RCVS were circulated the paper ‘Pandemic of Periodontal Disease: A malodorous condition’ www.rawmeatybones.com/tvVideo/Pandemic/pandemic.html In 1993 two more monographs were mailed to each veterinary school, association and RCVS. www.rawmeatybones.com/lectures.php But as we know arrogant, hard-faced veterinary officials carried on regardless. The junk pet-food industry increased its research efforts and spent even more dollars (dollars expropriated from unwitting pet owners) to bribe and corrupt veterinary schools, veterinary associations and rank and file vets in their practices. In the previous RMB Newsletter ‘Straight Questions: Crooked Answers’ we looked at how the UK veterinary authorities were less than honest when being quizzed by a panel of MPs about the junk pet food/veterinary conspiracy http://secureshop.rawmeatybones.com/newsletter/view.epl?id=51 Thank you to all those who wrote to MPs and to the Environment Food and Rural Affairs Committee. Official replies forwarded to me were condescending and intended to fob off the correspondents. Hopefully we shall return to this matter in a future newsletter. Recently the UK Government Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) announced its consultation process on Codes of Practice supporting the Animal Welfare Act. There are details at the end of the newsletter. My thanks to Carol Auld www.naturalcathealth.blogspot.com who provides the prime topic for this newsletter. Carol obtained Freedom of Information documents from the Ontario Veterinary College regarding their partnership with Royal Canin, a division of the Mars Corporation. Wishing you, your family and animals a Relaxing, Restful and Happy Christmas and hoping 2009 ushers in the changes we all want and need, Tom Lonsdale __________________________________________________________________________ PARTNERS IN CRIME __________________________________________________________________________ Down south Mexico way there’s a crippling drug war. The army has been deployed because many police officers act with and for the drug cartels. Time magazine reports: www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1861296,00.html (quote)'In Mexico's Drug War, Bad Cops Are a Mounting Problem. Few rituals are more futile than the "housecleaning" of Mexico's police forces. So deep, broad and brazen is cop corruption south of the border that removing it makes eradicating rats from landfills look easy. . .'(end quote) To the north in Canada, the Mounties retain a good reputation; it’s the veterinary authorities that are the problem. So flagrant, so brazen is their abuse of power that they crow about their partnership with the junk pet-food cartels. Imagine if a police academy in Mexico or anywhere else took $millions from the drug barons, the money to be used for training police to promote and sell drugs in the community. I know it’s a bit far fetched, but would the criminal conspirators announce their deal by press release? Would they describe their drug cartel/police partnership as having a ‘beneficial impact’? Have a look at the press release below and then the Contract entered into by University of Guelph, Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). You’ll likely need to reach for the vomit bag. When you’ve regained composure, please consider contacting Ontario Members of Parliament to let them know your thoughts. Contact details: www.ontla.on.ca/web/home.do It’s not just the OVC that enters into dirty deals. Virtually the entire global veterinary ‘education’ industry is operated of, by and for the junk pet-food industry. They are inseparable. The pet-food cartels poison the pets which keeps the vets in business. The vets use junk pet-food money to inculcate their students in junk pet-food propaganda to keep the cartels in business. Please, if you’ve got a moment, conduct a Freedom of Information (FOI) enquiry at your local veterinary school concerning its collusion with the junk pet-food industry. It’s usually a straightforward process. Just phone the switch board and ask to be put in touch with the FOI officer who will then advise what you need to do to obtain the documents. Please send through any documents obtained under FOI. We can assemble a file to help establish our case for change. Let’s try open debate supported by hard evidence. Mind you, from past experience, it’s going to be tough. We should consider legal actions against those who defraud the community on a grand scale. Let’s hope good sense prevails before the army needs to be deployed! __________________________________________________________________________ PRESS RELEASE www.uoguelph.ca/news/2008/04/royal_canin_can.html __________________________________________________________________________ ROYAL CANIN CANADA COMMITS $3 MILLION FOR OVC April 22, 2008 - News Release The University of Guelph today received a $3-million commitment from Royal Canin Canada Company to establish the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Endowed Chair in Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition and support independent research and graduate scholarships at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). This first-of-its-kind chair will be held by a faculty member in OVC’s Department of Clinical Studies and the University will conduct an international search for the first chair holder. "This generous gift is a wonderful example of the importance of private sector-university partnerships," said UofG president Alastair Summerlee. "Royal Canin Canada's investment in an endowed chair allows us to develop the area of feline and canine nutrition." The Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Chair is also an important part of a strategic initiative by UofG to establish new teaching and research chairs across the spectrum of the University's disciplines. “The application of nutrition in both optimizing health and in the prevention of and management of specific clinical conditions is increasingly important in veterinary practice. As a pet first company we know this investment will have a beneficial impact on the health of dogs and cats,” said Xavier Unkovic, CEO of Royal Canin Canada Company. “We are extremely proud of the contribution that Medi-Cal / Royal Canin Veterinary Diet has made to the veterinary profession in Canada," said Dr. Brent Matthew, Veterinary Division Director, Royal Canin Canada Company. "Our partnership with the University of Guelph represents a dramatic new commitment to clinical nutrition in Canada.” OVC Dean Elizabeth Stone said innovative nutritional research is essential to maintain and improve the health of dogs and cats. "We are excited that this innovative new faculty position will help us find answers to important questions about how we should feed our feline and canine companions. In addition, this gift enables us to start a new graduate program in this area." Royal Canin is a worldwide manufacturer and supplier of high quality, specialized dog and cat foods in the veterinary, pet specialty, and breeder channels. Its headquarters are in France and production operations exist in 10 countries around the world, including a new Canadian plant opening in Guelph in 2008. The company has a comprehensive veterinary exclusive line of diets under the Medi-Cal/Royal Canin Veterinary Diet brand name. Media contacts Royal Canin: Jennifer Brown 613 230-2220, Ext. 227 (office) 613 614-2894 (mobile) University of Guelph: Lori Bona Hunt 519 824-4120, Ext. 53338 __________________________________________________________________________ ROYAL CANIN, OVC CONTRACT __________________________________________________________________________ UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH ONTARIO VETERINARY COLLEGE Office of the Dean Terms of Reference Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Endowed Chair in Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. 1.The Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Chair in Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition was established through a gift commitment of $2,500,000 (“Endowment”) made to the University of Guelph (“UofG”) by Royal Canin Canada Company (“Royal Canin”). 2.It is agreed that the purpose of this Endowment is as follows: To establish the Royal Canin Veterinary Diet Endowed Chair in Canine and Feline Clinical Nutrition (the “Chair”). The Chair will be filled by a canine and feline clinical nutritionist, who will be hired as a regular full-time tenure-track faculty member at the Ontario Veterinary College (“OVC”), for the purpose of veterinary and graduate student teaching and research in canine and feline clinical nutrition. 3.The expendable income from the Endowment should be sufficient to pay the appointee’s full initial term and prospective reappointment salary and benefits. The expendable income is determined in accordance with the UofG’s policy, “General Endowment Fund Management Policy” (see Appendix 1), as may be amended from time to time. If available, additional expendable income could be used as an expense allowance for research and appointment-related travel costs. 4.From time to time, Royal Canin will provide additional support to the Chair including research grant support (students and program funding). This research and student support will be considered as part of the overall package available to the appointee. 5.The UofG, OVC, and Royal Canin will collaborate with each other for their mutual benefit and the benefit of the stakeholders. This will include, but not be limited to, discussion on the needs for nutrition education and research and ways to meet those needs. 6.An Advisory Committee will be created to support the Chair and to assure that the canine and feline clinical nutritional educational and research programs and activities align with the mission mandate of the UofG and Royal Canin. The members will be approved by both parties and will include 2 representatives from the UofG and 2 from Royal Canin. Terms of reference will be developed by this Committee for approval by the UofG and Royal Canin. 7.The appointees will be hired as regular full time tenure track faculty member by UofG and be subject to its policies and procedures. It is acknowledged that as a tenure-track faculty member, the appointee has the academic freedom to pursue interests in addition to the mission and mandate of the Chair. The Chair will not participate in any outside consultation or media activities that create a conflict of interest with the UofG or with Royal Canin. 8.Research carried out through the Chair will be consistent with Royal Canin’s Research Policy (see Appendix B). If in future, a conflict arises between UofG’s policies and procedures and Royal Canin’s Research Policy, the conflict will be referred to the Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee will provide advice to UofG and to Royal Canin on possible resolution of the conflict. 9.The Chair will be expected to establish a successful teaching program in canine and feline clinical nutrition for veterinary students and graduate students. The Chair might also participate in undergraduate education as time permits. The Chair will maintain a superior program of research (as evidenced by publications and external grant support), and will play a leadership role in facilitating world-class research in feline and canine clinical research. 10.The home department for the Chair will be the Department of Clinical Studies. The Chair will have an appointment in the OVC Teaching Hospital (OVCTH) in canine and feline clinical nutrition. The Chair will provide learning opportunities for veterinary students, interns and graduate students in the OVCTH and will provide nutritional consultations for clinicians from other clinical services within the OVCTH (e.g. critical care, internal medicine, oncology). 11.The professorial rank of the appointee may be at the assistant, associate, or full professor level depending on the available funding from the Endowment for salary and benefits and the qualifications of prospective candidates. The first appointee, based on available funding, will be recruited as an assistant professor. 12.Faculty searches follow normal procedures for the UofG. Designates from Royal Canin will have an opportunity to meet with the candidates during their interviews and will be invited to the candidates’ interview presentations. 13.In the event that the appointee leaves the UofG, UofG will fill the position as quickly as possible. 14.If the expendable income is insufficient to meet continuing appointment and expense costs, the Dean will consult with the Advisory Committee, the Provost, the OVC Director of Advancement and Royal Canin. A decision may be made to leave the position vacant intermittently, supplement the income from other sources, and secure additional investment or some combination of these measures. 15.During the period when the Chair is not permanently occupied such as when a candidate search is in progress, after consultation with the Department Chair, the Advisory Committee, and the Provost will use the Endowment’s income to maintain the continuity of the research and teaching programs in canine and feline nutrition. 16.The capital gifts contributed to this Endowment shall be held in perpetuity. 17.This document may be amended by mutual consent in writing by UofG and Royal Canin. Signed by the parties hereto this 22nd day of April, 2008. Dr. Alastair J.S. Summerlee President and Vice-Chancellor University of Guelph Xavier Unkovic Chief Executive Officer Royal Canin Canada Company __________________________________________________________________________ UK CODES OF PRACTICE FOR THE WELFARE OF DOGS AND CATS __________________________________________________________________________ The UK Government Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) are in the process of drafting Codes of Practice for dog, cat and horse owners. The ‘dog’ drafts are at: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/welfare-dogs-cop/index.htm The ‘cat’ drafts are at: www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/welfare-cats-cop/index.htm Apart from the muddled ideas, there’s a general presupposition that dogs and cats should be fed junk food. Nowhere do the draft Codes mention that dogs are modified wolves and that all carnivores need to consume raw meaty bones to ensure dental and general good health. The UK Government and its advisers have been repeatedly informed about the biological imperatives and fundamental animal welfare implications arising from junk pet foods. But they refuse to learn; they refuse to change. How can the Government enforce regulations against pet owners when the Government itself is incapable of learning obvious, oft-repeated truths? Now’s our chance to again repeat those truths. Let DEFRA know that the proposed Codes are hopelessly misguided and rather than improve welfare, will reinforce the ongoing cruelty and suffering. Governmental support for the corrupt junk pet food/veterinary/fake animal welfare alliance should stop and stop pronto. Please have a good look at what’s proposed and then send your response before 31 December to: Elaine Cannon, Area 8B, No 9 Millbank, 17 Smith Square, London, SW1P 3JR Telephone: 020 7238 5332 Email: Animalwelfareconsultations@defra.gsi.gov.uk State the name of the consultation in the subject header. Eg: Code of Practice - Dogs. Please send through any correspondence that might be useful or interesting for possible inclusion in future newsletters. __________________________________________________________________________ CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS _________________________________________________________________________ Raw Meaty Bones: Promote Health provides essential reading on carnivore diet, health and the junk pet food industry/veterinary/fake animal welfare alliance. Ideal gift for veterinarians, lawyers, dentists, doctors, teachers, scientists and anyone needing the facts upon which to build a better world for pets, pet owners and the wider community. Work Wonders is the easy-reader on canine nutrition suitable for all dog owners, young and not so young. Ideal for trainers, breeders, groomers, dog walkers and other professionals who wish to show their appreciation and help clients better understand the practical and health benefits of a raw meaty bones diet. Raw Meaty Bones and Work Wonders both available in paper back and as e- books. www.rawmeatybones.com/order-book.php All proceeds help the Raw Meaty Bones campaign. With best wishes for Christmas and the New Year, Tom Lonsdale ___________________________________________________________ We welcome copies of correspondence/emails/faxes for possible inclusion in future RMB Newsletters. Please circulate, distribute or reproduce this newsletter as you wish. ___________________________________________________________ The Raw Meaty Bones Newsletter is published by: Tom Lonsdale Rivetco P/L PO Box 6096 Windsor Delivery Centre NSW 2756 Australia Phone: +61 2 4574 0537 Fax: +61 2 4578 1384 Email: rivetco@rawmeatybones.com Web: http://www.rawmeatybones.com To subscribe or unsubscribe go to: http://secureshop.rawmeatybones.com/newsletter