Animal lovers and dog fans in particular that were patiently awaiting the release of the upcoming movie “A Dog’s Purpose” are livid after hearing that the film’s crew is reportedly under investigation for animal cruelty and abuse during the making of the movie. A video clip obtained by TMZ (a celebrity news website and TV show) shows one of the dogs used in the making of the movie (a German Shepherd named Hercules) clearly resisting participation in a stunt using rushing water while being forced to do the scene.
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‘A Dog’s Purpose’: Movie Reeling from Allegations of Animal Abuse
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Photo: Facebook/Homeschool Movie Club
A representative of the American Humane Society that was on set during filming has since been suspended, and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has called for a boycott of the movie. In a Twitter post, director Lasse Hallström said that he “did not witness” the incident and was “very disturbed” by it, while Amblin Entertainment released an official statement identifying, “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”, and that “Hercules is happy and healthy.”
Photo: Wikimedia
Sources for TMZ have identified that during production, eight outboard motors were used within a pool enclosure during filming in Winnipeg, Manitoba in order to make a scene in which the appearance of rushing water was required. The dog in question can clearly be seen clawing at the pool’s edge while a crew member tries to push it in. According to the same site, the filming resulted in the dog being submerged, someone to yelling “Cut it!”, and the dog’s handlers immediately rushing to assist the dog.
Photo: Facebook/Amblin Entertainment
Both Universal Pictures and Amblin Partners have identified that they have watched the video and are in the process of investigating, and in a statement released on January 19, noted: “Fostering a safe environment and ensuring the ethical treatment of our animal actors was of the utmost importance to those involved in making this film and we will look into the circumstances surrounding this video,” the companies said in a statement.
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