| Veterinarians Troubled by Merial (Frontline & HeartGard) Partnership with Cesar Millan |
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Merial, the drug company that manufacturers and markets Frontline® and Heartgard®, has announced a joint marketing campaign with controversial "dog whisperer" Cesar Millan which will involve cross-promoting Millan's equally controversial behavior video. Millan's domineering and punishment based dog training techniques have been resoundingly condemned by the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists (ACVB), the American Veterinary Society of Animal Behavior (AVSAB), the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians and many other dog behavior professionals, including Green Acres Kennel Shop, as being excessively harsh, inhumane, unscientific, harmful and unnecessary (http://tinyurl.com/n7r234 and http://tinyurl.com/d5k3lo). The Executive Board of the AVSAB has written to Merial expressing their concern stating: At best, the show (The Dog Whisperer) is entertaining but misleading to pet owners. At worst, Mr. Millan's techniques and misinformation have contributed to increased aggression and anxiety or resulted in physical injury to the pet and/or pet owner. As practicing veterinarians, we all unfortunately have seen many cases of the latter. Merial claims to "enhance the health, well-being, and performance of animals." The use of Mr. Millan as part of an advertising campaign speaks otherwise. You can read the entire text of the AVSAB letter by clicking on the following link: http://tinyurl.com/m7zhs6. I have also written to Merial expressing my concern about their partnership with Mr. Millan and you may wish to do likewise. They can be contacted at: [email protected] or: Merial Limited |