American Humane Association Unveils International Program to Protect Animal Actors at Locations 2000

American Humane Association
Thursday, 24 February 2000

Calgary Humane Society and Irish SPCA Institute AHA Guidelines For Productions

Runaway and international co-productions are on the rise, creating new challenges for the American Humane Association (AHA) in its mission to ensure the safety of animal actors and keep entertainment audiences informed.

AHA has been fighting for the film industry's animal performers for the 60 years since it opened an office in Los Angeles for that purpose in 1940 after a horse died when deliberately shoved off a cliff into a river for the film "Jesse James." Since 1980, AHA has been designated as the sole agency authorized to be on film sets through language in the Screen Actors Guild/Producers Codified Agreement. This language commits producers to treat animals humanely, use appropriately trained animals, and to work cooperatively with American Humane Association.

Occasionally, filmmakers are confused about AHA's role versus the local humane organization near their filming location. All film oversight is coordinated through AHA's Los Angeles office, although the organization may sometimes be represented by a local partner humane agency.

During the past year, AHA has been collaborating closely with international humane agencies to institute uniform guidelines, training and procedures to effectively address public concerns about animal safety in films while assisting filmmakers to keep their projects moving efficiently and without controversy.

Gini Barrett, Director, American Humane Association, Film & TV Unit stated, "The majority of the American movie-going public doesn't differentiate between an international or domestic production if it's released here. If they see it on television or in a theater here, they assume it's an American production and they expect AHA's end-credit stating that 'No Animals Were Harmed.' They also expect us to have the answers to their questions when what they see on the screen worries them. Through this international program, we can assure U.S. audiences that the animals were well cared for – no matter where the project was filmed. Working with AHA and our international partners makes projects from around the world eligible for AHA's end credit."

The Calgary, Alberta region of Canada has become a popular location for westerns and historic epics, which often employee large numbers of animals, such as the upcoming Miramax Western-feature, "Texas Rangers" and TNT's "The Virginian." The Calgary Humane Society (CHS) and AHA have created a seamless collaborative program to monitor these projects.

According to CHS Executive Director, Cathy Thomas, "This program helps our area remain a popular filming location, while assuring our local citizens that a highly-regarded standard of care is being maintained. The producers we have worked with were thrilled to be able to have the advantages of Canada and still be eligible for an AHA end-credit."

The RSPCA (Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) in New South Wales, Australia relied on AHA's Guidelines and experience during the productions of "Babe" and "Babe, Pig in the City". Additionally, the Irish SPCA worked closely with AHA to monitor animal action on "Animal Farm" and the upcoming Universal film "Rat."

"Our goal, first and foremost is always the welfare of the animals," Barrett said, "However, we also want the industry accustomed to uniform procedures and guidelines wherever they film. Locations 2000 is an ideal opportunity to reach the global film community and to open up additional discussions with other states, provinces and countries."

Working with AHA has a number of benefits for producers. AHA does not charge for its services, yet is an additional safety expert on the set, which, in addition to benefiting the animals increases the safety of the humans who work with them. When a production meets AHA's Guidelines it is eligible to receive AHA's valued end-credit disclaimer, "No Animals Were Harmed…" In addition, AHA's work supports the project's distribution and/or publicity program, as AHA spends hundreds of hours each year responding to public and media inquiries. AHA informs and educates audiences, corrects inaccurate information, and serves as the objective, credible witness to the producer's responsible animal care.

AHA is currently working with the British Columbia SPCA and is reaching out to other organizations in several countries to establish similar partnerships. AHA publishes its film ratings and reviews on its website (www.AHAFilm.org) as well as in a wide variety of print and electronic media.

For more information, or to contact American Humane Association, see their website at: www.americanhumane.org