Animal Actors, What's the Deal?

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| Print | By | November 20, 2008 11:24 AM

No doubt about it, animals on TV and film make us smile. I grew up watching cowboy shows and loving the horses, thrilled at the Lassie adventures, cried over Thomasina. And today, we have a whole network of shows with Animal Planet, dedicated to educating and entertaining us about our favorite critters.

But there's a sordid history of abuse used to get those "exciting/enthralling" shots. And even today, with American Humane Association leading the charge for humane care, some studios know how to get around the anti-cruelty laws.

That’s why it's important to look for that "No Animals Were Harmed" language on your entertainment! The American Humane Association provides trained folks to oversee the treatment of animals when on the set. They were there during filming of “Marley & Me” as well as on the set of “Beverly Hills Chihuahua.” Both got high marks--but other shows, like the recent “Greatest American Dog” fell down on the job and didn’t earn the “No Animals Were Harmed” designation.

11-20 PA-FILM-MarleyAndMe-poster.jpg

You can learn more about what went on behind (and on) the set of these and other shows--as well as some history of animals in entertainment, at my Pet Peeves radio shows (www.petliferadio.com, click on Pet Peeves logo). Guests include an actor with some first-hand knowledge, as well as Karen Rosa, the director of the American Humane Association’s Film & Television Unit. Wonder how they pulled off some of those neat effects? Karen has all the inside information.

What are some of your favorite animal actors, TV shows and movies? Did you have any idea how many rules and regulations must be met, to abide by the AHA guidelines? Fascinating stuff!

Hey, do your pets have star quality?

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