Here's what I found on their site about the testing they do-
What type of testing does Natura do?
answer:
THE BELFIELD CENTER: FOCUSING ON HUMANE TREATMENT
By Peter Atkins, Vice President and Co-Founder, Natura Pet Products
Natura Pet Products believes strongly in the importance of nutritional testing to validate our products and to support the development of new, innovative and healthful diets. However, we have never been comfortable philosophically with the care and treatment of animals housed at most independent testing facilities.
As a result, we realized that the only way to reconcile both issues was to build our own facility and manage the care and treatment of the test animals ourselves.
The Belfield Pet Food Research & Development Center is a humane, non-invasive testing facility which was built on 8.5 acres near our manufacturing plant in Nebraska. The building itself is 11,500 square feet under roof and is climate controlled year-round with 3 large HVAC units. There are 19 spacious indoor-outdoor pens for long term dog feeding studies and 2 separate dog exercise yards that are 3,000 square foot each. There is a cat play room for daily group socialization and Natura's ''Dog of the Week'' room, which is a fully decorated suburban home living room which is being utilized by a different canine resident each week.
All residents of the Belfield Center have regular play time and frequent interaction with the staff. Toys of all kinds, cat scratching posts and cat furniture is available for all feline residents along with balls, chew toys and tug toys for the canines. Animals living at the Belfield Center come to us from a variety of sources, including rescue groups, breeders and private homes.
All animals in the facility are cared for humanely and it is important for our customers to know that all living and test spaces far exceed the minimum requires set by the USDA.
It is also important for everyone to know that all work done at the Belfield Center is non-invasive. In other words, the dog and cat residents eat pet food. Period! A practicing local veterinarian has been hired to provide regular health care to all animals, and the facility is being run by Kelli Daniels, a licensed Veterinary Technician with over 10 years experience. The animals are cared for by a conscientious staff of 3 full time people and 3 part time people.
TESTING POLICIES
1. All testing will be non-invasive and will consist only of palatability, digestibility, stool quality and AAFCO protocol feeding studies for nutritional substantiation. Natura will not conduct nutrient deprivation studies at our facility nor at any other.
2. All animals will be cared for as if they were pet companions in our home.
3. Natura Pet Products will always far exceed standards established by the Animal Welfare Act of the US, the US Department of Agriculture and Directive 86/609/EEC of the European Union.
4. Natura Pet Products will not conduct any study requiring or resulting in the euthanasia of cats or dogs.
5. Natura Pet Products will ensure the humane treatment of cats and dogs that reside in the facility and provide for animal well-being, socialization and husbandry in a manner compatible with our own philosophy and conscience.
6. Natura Pet Products will require that all residents have regular veterinary check-ups. Any animal that shows signs of illness will be given veterinary care immediately.
7. Resident animals will be adopted-out to private homes following their retirement from the Belfield Center. The adoption process will begin while the animals are still well within their productive and active years.
8. Natura will continue to keep an interest in our ''retired'' residents, and will support their feeding and vet care after adoption. Natura employees, dealers and customers will be given first priority to adopt these animals.
9. The Belfield Center will have an advisory panel made up of pet care professionals, community representatives, and veterinary practitioners for the purpose of routine facility tours and oversight. Dr Wendell O. Belfield will serve on the Animal Care & Use Committee which will meet at least semi-annually.
10. Extra care will be taken with all new animals upon their arrival at the Belfield Center to minimize the stress of their relocation and to encourage quick socialization with the other animals and Natura staff. Each animal at the Belfield Center will have a name, not a number.
TREATMENT & SOCIALIZATION OF NEW RESIDENTS
By Kelli Daniels, Veterinarian Technician, The Belfield Center
On July 17, 2003 the Belfield Center received the first of its four-footed residents: twenty-two cats and four dogs. These animals had been at another animal research facility prior to coming to live at the Belfield Center. The dogs were kept on raised decks in their wire kennels in a room without windows. They had never been outside to play in the sun, on the grass or feel a warm summer breeze. The cats too were individually housed in a windowless room, never having seen the outdoors or watched birds in the trees. Their former facility had different priorities than we do here at the Belfield Center. One of the first things we do is to give all the newcomers names. We have found that calling them by their own name as soon as possible and consistently while petting and reassuring them each day, their socialization to come will be that much easier.
Upon arrival at the Belfield Center, all of the animals have a physical exam and are weighed. The first arrivals seemed healthy and in good condition. As we worked with both the dogs and cats through daily care, we discovered their socialization skills were definitely lacking. They were timid, hiding at the back of their kennels, and unsure of themselves outside of their kennels. At first, we had to carry them from their runs to the outdoor play yards. The dogs had never been loose to run and play so they didn't know how. They would lay on the ground and look around as though still confined to their cage.
Day after day we encouraged them to move around and explore their new world. Gradually they began to loosen up and become excited to see us in the mornings, and would walk around outside. Week after week we saw small changes in the dogs. They come when we call their names with tails wagging. They recently discovered the balls and tug toys in the yard and find them very intriguing. We had to teach them how to use their doggie doors so they could go from their indoor to outdoor runs on their own. Now they are using them like they have done it all their lives. When it's playtime they run to make their sniffing rounds, checking out every nook and cranny of their 3,000 square foot play yard.
The cats had a bit of adjusting to do as well. When any of the staff would enter their room the cats would go to the back of their cottages, watching closely. But by patiently taking the cats in and out of their homes during the daily cleaning of the cottages, we would talk to them and reassure them, and they slowly began to change. Only a few at first, until soon, the whole group would come to the front of their cottages and begin to rub on the doors and meow for us whenever they heard us coming. Their first visit to the playroom was a bit overwhelming to begin with until they figured out the furniture and cat condos. After a few weeks they realized just how much fun climbing can be. A favorite spot is the cat tree by the window where they can watch the birds in the trees outside.
Today, we have happy well adjusted cats and dogs that enjoy just being held and petted like normal pets. Through patience and compassion our four-pawed co-workers are all more adoptable now for when they retire from the Belfield Center.
The rest of our residents haven't required the same intense care that the originals did, however, we don't ever forget the lessons we all learned with those first little souls. Time, love and patience can change even the smallest world.