Behind the Scenes of
Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media -
Protecting Animal Actors
Since the introduction of the Guidelines, animal accidents, illnesses and deaths on set have sharply declined. Our Certified Animal Safety Representatives™ apply the Guidelines on the more than 2,000 productions per year that we monitor, keeping tens of thousands of animal actors safe.
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The Historic Legacy of the
Film and Television Unit.
American Humane Association’s Film & TV Unit is the leader in the protection of animal actors. With established Guidelines, on-set monitoring, movie ratings and reviews, and stories from the set, the Film & TV Unit is the only animal welfare organization with oversight sanctioned by the Screen Actors Guild (SAG). American Humane Association assumes the monumental undertaking of providing protection for animal actors and keeps the public informed.
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Help Us Continue Our Mission
Donate Today.
American Humane Association has sole authority, through a contract with the Screen Actors Guild, to protect animals used in the film and television industries. Please help us be there to apply our high standards for the treatment of animals on set, ensuring that "No Animals Were Harmed."®
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Hey, Producers / Film Makers:
Protect Your Ass*
*and your horse, your dog and every other animal on your set
You’re going to use an animal on your set, aren’t you? Well, and why wouldn’t you? What was Dorothy without Toto? The Bradys without Tiger? Harry Potter without Hedwig?
Have at it then! Just make sure you call American Humane Association and arrange for our services on your production.
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Dreamer
American Humane Assocation Safety Representatives Make a Difference
In DreamWorks Pictures’ film Dreamer, starring Kurt Russell (Ben), Dakota Fanning (Cale), Kris Kristofferson (Pop Crane), a father and daughter rally around a racehorse deserted by its owner when a broken leg ends the horse’s promising career. Based on a true story, Soñador, Spanish for dream, inspires Ben’s faith, as the trainer and his young daughter nurse the injured horse. As the horse recovers, they stake their hopes on a seemingly impossible dream — winning the Breeders’ Cup Classic.
To ensure that animals were not put at risk during any filming, the American Humane Association’s Film & Television Unit monitored the animal action in Dreamer, which earned the “No Animals Were Harmed® End Credit Certification. Throughout the production, Certified Animal Safety Representatives Susan Jackson and Sandi Buck, monitored the safety and well-being of the animals used in the film.
“Everyone was very receptive and cooperative,” says Jackson. “Anytime I had a suggestion the trainer as well as the production crew, always took time to listen.”
Safety First
The portrayal of a horrific fall during which Soñador breaks his leg, is a complete simulation but may cause audiences to cringe. “It’s a mechanical horse that appears to be falling,” says Jackson who watched the entire scene. “A real horse is never involved in the actual fall. (The jockey) got to the end of the track, they pushed a button, and the mechanical horse collapsed, dropping the rider.”
After the accident, Soñador — or Sonya for short — appears in an equine rescue harness that suspends the horse in midair to keep the weight off the horse’s broken leg. This scene provoked concerns among cast and crew. American Humane Association’s Certified Animal Safety Representatives™ often find themselves addressing questions on the set. Jackson approached Set Trainer Rusty Hendrickson and discussed the use of the harness.
“They thought it was just a prop at first,” says Jackson, “and some of the crew were a little bit uneasy about that.”
Trainers explained to cast and crew members how veterinarians use the harness to stabilize and take weight off a broken leg so it has time to heal. Prior to the development of the rescue harness, Jackson explained that horses with injuries like Sonador’s were immediately euthanized.
When the production had to re-shoot some of the ‘suspended horse’ scenes later, “the crew was much more comfortable with the safety of the apparatus and its use. “
Proactive Approach
By proactively addressing questions, concerns can be resolved head on. Hendrickson praised Jackson’s ”very diplomatic way of problem solving.” He equated her presence on the set to that of a good police officer who is a friend to all citizens. She always sought to help find alternatives to potentially risky animal action scenes.
During the course of production, Jackson displayed her equine expertise yet again when Hendrickson questioned her about a hoof problem. She determined that the horse had “white line disease” — a bacterial infection caused by housing on wet or damp ground. Because the horse was accustomed to a drier climate, Hendrickson had never encountered this disease. Jackson advised the trainer to use a topical medication and keep the horse in a separate stall on drier bedding to prevent spread of the disease. The on-set veterinarian concurred, and the horse was successfully treated.
Jackson also attested that Sonya’s race mates were in top physical condition and well-prepared for the action. To manage any potential stress on the animals, the horses ran shorter distances on camera than they would run in actual races.
Buck adds that the trainers were sticklers for limiting runs during the racing sequences. They had worked out a good system based on their experience during the filming of the American Humane Association-monitored film Seabiscuit, she added. “Every time they would do a take during the race scenes, we only allowed the horses to do three quarter-furlong runs,” said Buck. “Then trainers would then switch to new horses.”
She was also impressed with the production crew’s awareness and concern about the animals’ welfare. “Anytime they would see anything they were concerned about, they would come to me.”
Creative Solutions
To ensure the safety of the animals, American Humane Association Safety Representatives also provided creative solutions for film crew personnel, as Jackson did during a scene in which Russell was supposed to be applying liniment on Sonya’s leg. The prop master only had a bottle of water, which did not provide the authentic milky appearance of liniment.
Jackson did not want real liniment used because the heat created by the substance, while appropriate to treat swollen muscles, might be too strong for healthy muscle tissue. After checking with the trainer, Jackson suggested to the prop man that they put milk in the bottle, since liniment has a milky appearance.
“The props person was extremely happy I did that, and it gave Kurt Russell what he needed to be able to get through the scene without any jeopardy to the horse,” says Jackson.
Unexpected Cat Concerns
Some safety issues on a movie set simply cannot be foreseen. For instance, sometimes American Humane Association Safety Representative need to intervene to help protect animals that are not part of the set. On Dreamer, barn cats living on the property presented a problem as they grew increasingly brave on the set. Scampering around all the movie mayhem caused a hazard for crew members who were navigating in golf carts or lugging heavy equipment and put the animals in harm’s way.
Concerned about accidental injuries to the cats and/or crew, Bill Johnson, one of the film’s executive producers, solicited Jackson’s advice. Her solution involved having the cats spayed or neutered at a local vet. The procedures addressed the farmer’s concerns about breeding and animal overpopulation, while the vet’s office provided a safe haven for the animals until filming was complete.
American Humane Association genuinely appreciates the open, accommodating attitude the Dreamer crew maintained throughout filming. ‘The production was very interested in protecting the animals and in maximizing their potential to receive our ‘No Animals Were Harmed’® End Credit,” Buck said.
Jackson concurs, “It was a really good film to work on. Everybody was so cooperative with changes; we always had open discussion, and I was treated like part of the team.”
