Being Terrified on Set Is NOT ‘A Dog’s Purpose’
Update: On January 19, 2017, following PETA’s call for a boycott of A Dog’s Purpose, Universal Pictures and Amblin Entertainment have canceled the film’s Hollywood premiere, originally scheduled for Saturday, January 21. They released a statement saying, “Because Amblin’s review into the edited video released yesterday is still ongoing, distributor Universal Pictures has decided it is in the best interest of A Dog’s Purpose to cancel this weekend’s premiere and press junket.” The film is still scheduled to hit theatres on Friday, January 27, and activists will be protesting throughout its opening weekend all across the country.
Originally posted January 18, 2017:
As reported by TMZ, a shocking video allegedly taken on the set of the upcoming film A Dog’s Purpose appears to show an animal handler forcing a terrified German shepherd–type dog into the waters of an intensely swirling pool. The clip concludes when the dog is pulled beneath the raging waters, prompting a group of people to rush over, seemingly in an attempt to rescue the animal.
The apparent on-set incident, which is hard to watch, may come as an unwelcome surprise to unsuspecting moviegoers who care about dogs—especially given the title of the film, based on the hit book of the same name. But to those who know the chronic neglect uncovered at a facility operated by Birds & Animals Unlimited (BAU)—the company that, according to a facility manager, supplied the dogs used in the film—this incident is just another drop in a very saddening bucket. Watch the video for yourself now:
BAU, operated by Hollywood animal trainer Gary Gero, provides animals for use in film, television, and advertisements. It has rented out animals to hundreds of other productions, including The Hangover, Marley and Me, Game of Thrones, and Pirates of the Caribbean. An eyewitness who worked at BAU documented chronic neglect, including sick and injured animals who went without adequate veterinary care, filthy enclosures, and animals who were denied food so that they would be hungry while trained to do tricks.
Sadly, such abuse appears to be the norm, not the exception, in the entertainment industry, where animal suffering is just “business as usual” for humans trying to make a buck.
What You Can Do
The living conditions documented at BAU are not uncommon for animals used in entertainment, and as this video shows, animal suffering may not end at BAU’s complex but continue right onto movie sets.
Please, pledge to avoid contributing to this cruel practice by not buying tickets to A Dog’s Purpose or any other movies that use live animals.
Share this video with your family and friends who care about dogs—and all animals. Let them know that animals aren’t “actors” and that they often suffer both on and off camera when used for entertainment.
