Not A Dog's Purpose

Some of our favorite movies are ones that include animals. The "Air Bud" franchise was hugely successful, and for adults, there was "Marley & Me." These movies are fun and heart-warming, but we forget that real animals are used in these films, and the shooting conditions are not always favorable to the animal "actors." Most recently, there was a huge uproar when behind-the-scenes footage from "A Dog's Purpose" was released that showed production team members and animal handlers forcing the German Shepherd into turbulent water for a shot. At one point in the video, the dog is desperately trying to get away from the water, and a person pulls it back up by the collar, almost strangling the animal.

At what point do we sacrifice the well-being of living creatures for our own entertainment? When did it become okay to make animals do things, dangerous things, against their will for the sake of a movie scene? I set our to examine the laws that are in place at a federal and state level in protection of animals on movie sets. Unfortunately, most of the legislature is geared toward endangered animals in films, and not specifically to animals in general. Even in the case of showing animal abuse in films, the article said that "it is difficult to identify the individual in the film." Whatever that may mean. I think that this comment is in reference to documentaries in which faces may be blurred or names may not be given.

In the case of normal, non-endangered animals, there is really no specific regulation in place. All of the guidelines and standards for their care are only for their "exhibitors," which is defined as the company that sources out the animals to the production companies. Because of this, the production companies don't technically have to comply to well-being and safety regulations. The article summarizing these laws stated that:

In summary, the use of animals in film or television is not directly addressed by any federal or state

law. Only the federal AWA and ESA as well as state cruelty laws and state animal cruelty depiction laws indirectly touch upon the issue. The only animal actor specific regulation is the industry-based AHA’s guidelines but the vast limitations indicate it may not be enough protection.

It's high time that we stop seeing animals as some sort of property used for entertainment purposes. These are real living things that feel pain and fear. If there are going to be films or television series that feature animals, they should be handled with respect, and there should be laws in place to make sure that this happens. Fortunately, the American Humane Society has taken their own steps to ensure the safety of animals on set:

Beyond these indirect legal protections, the Motion Picture Association of America directly addressed the problem of animal abuse in filmed media. They legally empowered the AHA to monitor how animals are treated in Screen Actors Guild movies, television, commercials, and music shows. Mainly, the AHA enforces a set of guidelines that producers must follow when using animal actors. Among other things, the AHA’s Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media governs the following areas: general guidelines; veterinary care guidelines; guidelines for productions, cast, and crew; reality programming; costumes, makeup, rigging and props; location and/or set safety; special effects; stunts; and species-specific guidelines.

So, while the AHA can set these guidelines and monitor companies, they can't be everywhere at all times, and there are countless studios using animals every day. Mere guidelines might not be enough, and I hope that things like the "A Dog's Purpose" leaked footage show that animal abuse is getting in through the cracks of this system.

What's worse, actors and people on set have gone on record trying to say that the footage was "manipulated" or that it was a "scam," which sounds ridiculous to me. One person from on-set even said that the German Shepherd was only upset because it had rehearsed the stunt from the other side of the pool. All of this is utter bullshit. That dog is visibly terrified, and not merely confused. To try and force it to do something that it was so uncomfortable with is wrong. But don't let me tell you what to believe; watch it for yourself below: