PETA calls for boycott of A Dog’s Purpose

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The largest animal rights group in the world is calling for a boycott of A Dog’s Purpose, a movie shot in Winnipeg and area which is set for release on Jan. 27.

PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) called Thursday for the boycott of the movie, and billed as a loving tribute to dogs as pets, after disturbing video was released Wednesday by TMZ showing a German shepherd being forced into turbulent water on the Winnipeg movie set.

“PETA is calling on dog lovers to boycott the film in order to send the message that dogs and other animals should be treated humanely, not as movie props,” a PETA statement emailed to the Winnipeg Free Press read.  

“PETA’s motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment.”

The movie was shot in various locations in Manitoba, including Winnipeg, Brandon and Lockport, in the summer and fall of 2015. 

The video shows the distressed dog struggling with a handler who finally manages to push the frightened animal into the a pool of churning water.

That’s followed by a second clip showing several crew members jumping in to rescue the animal as it struggles to keep its head above the water. The footage was apparently shot near Winnipeg when the film was in production in November of 2015.

In the first video clip, a man’s voice can be heard in the background saying, “Just got to throw him in,” and then chuckling “oh, no” as the dog is shoved into the pool.

CNN reported on Thursday that American Humane, an organization that ensures the safety and well being of animals used in film and TV productions, said its on-set monitor for A Dog’s Purpose has been placed on leave and an investigation has been launched.

A statement to CNN from American Humane said it has “reviewed the video and we are disturbed and concerned by the footage. When the dog showed signs of resistance to jumping in the water, the scene should have been stopped. We are placing the safety representative who was on the set on administrative leave immediately and are bringing in an independent third party to conduct an investigation into this matter.”

American Humane awards the “No Animals Were Harmed” certification to films which meet its standards for animal safety on movie sets.

A joint statement Wednesday from Amblin Entertainment and Universal Pictures stated the production team “followed rigorous protocols to foster an ethical and safe environment for the animals.”

The statement also addressed the situation of the dog in question stating that, “Amblin is confident that great care and concern was shown for the German Shepherd Hercules, as well as for all of the other dogs featured throughout the production of the film. There were several days of rehearsal of the water scenes to ensure Hercules was comfortable with all of the stunts. On the day of the shoot, ‪Hercules did not want to perform the stunt portrayed on the tape so the Amblin production team did not proceed with filming that shot. Hercules is happy and healthy.”

Animal Justice, an Ottawa-based animal law organization, has filed complaints with the Chief Veterinary Office of Manitoba, the Winnipeg Humane Society and Winnipeg police after the video was posted on the celebrity gossip site TMZ.

Manitoba’s CVO has confirmed it is investigating the allegations.

There’s a hard irony to the situation. It appears a dog was traumatized in making a movie that was made as a tribute to the goodness of dogs.

A Dog’s Purpose is a major Hollywood production, directed by Lasse Hallström, who also directed The Cider House Rules, Dear John and The 100-Foot Journey, and it stars actor Dennis Quaid.

Based on W. Bruce Cameron’s 2010 bestseller of the same name, the movie is about a single dog as it is reincarnated over five decades and learns the meaning of its own existence through the humans who own it, especially its first owner, a small boy who first rescued it from suffering in a hot car.

Director and actor Josh Gad, who voices the German Shepherd shown being forced into the pool in the footage, each took to Twitter on Wednesday to express their concerns over the situation.

“I am very disturbed by the video released today from the set of my film A Dog’s Purpose,” Hallström’s Twitter stated. “I did not witness these actions. We were all committed to providing a loving and safe environment for all the animals in the film. I have been promised that a thorough investigation into this situation is underway and that any wrongdoing will be reported and punished.”

Gad, on Twitter, called the footage “disturbing” and said he has reached out to the production team and studio to ask for an explanation.

The statement from PETA also said the Hollywood animal supplier Birds & Animals Unlimited (BAU) told PETA they provided the dogs used in the film A Dog’s Purpose. PETA released released a video of its investigation of BAU which PETA said “revealed that animals are denied veterinary care, forced to sleep outdoors in the cold without bedding for warmth, made to live in filthy conditions, and more.”

ashley.prest@freepress.mb.ca

– with files from Alexandra Paul