FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2002

Contact(s):
Michael Budkie - SAEN (513) 575-5517
Bill Lauterwasser - MFA (859) 781-1240
Barbara Stagno - IDA (914) 693-6559 www.PandGkills.com

Local, National Animal Groups Vow
To 'Escalate' Pressure on P&G at
Tuesday Shareholders Meeting

CINCINNATI - Animal rights activists will be in the streets - and in the boardroom - at Procter & Gamble's annual shareholders meeting Tuesday at 11a.m.  at the Aronoff Center for the Arts (650 Walnut St.).

No arrests are planned.  But, activists from local, regional and national organizations say they plan to "escalate" worldwide protests against P&G over the animal testing issue.

In fact, the original organizer of the international Boycott P&G campaign 15 years ago - and the first to get arrested at a P&G shareholders meeting - said he is planning to undertake the campaign again if P&G resists ending all animal testing.

"Nothing has  changed since I left this campaign nearly a decade ago. As far as I know P&G still puts chemicals  into the eyes of unanesthesized rabbits, squirts caustic chemicals onto the exposed skin of guinea pigs and still poisons rats, mice, and other species," said Michael Budkie.
 
Budkie - who coordinated a campaign that once involved protests in more than 100 cities worldwide against P&G's animal testing - is now the director of Cincinnati-based SAEN, an international research watchdog organization.

Also speaking at the shareholders meeting will be Mercy for Animals' Bill Lauterwasser, representing longtime P&G foe In Defense of Animals. Among his comments, Lauterwasser is expected to state:

"We will not turn our backs on P&G's cruelty. P&G's inertia to end animal tests is deplorable and unjustified. We are taking this opportunity to inform P&G that compassionate people are tired of waiting. We are escalating our efforts to protest P&G whenever and wherever possible to make the world aware of the thousands of animals who die needlessly in P&G's laboratories."
-30-