Film Makers
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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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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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. Prior to 1980, American Humane Association listed 107 films as Unacceptable because of deliberate neglect or malice toward animals. From 1980 to 1988, when our Guidelines debuted, 31 films were found Unacceptable. Since 1988, only 16 films have received that ignoble distinction.
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Helping Your Production
Since 1939 — when a horse died after being forced to jump off a cliff during the filming of Jesse James — producers and filmmakers have turned to the American Humane Association to ensure that animals on their sets are treated humanely.
Production is a complex field that involves countless rules and procedures, along with nuances of on-set protocol. The field of animals involves its own set of standards and practices, which can sometimes conflict with the creative or financial expectations of a production. To make things easier for producers and filmmakers alike, American Humane Association’s Film & TV Unit nurtures a delicate balance between production and animal needs. Whether you need an information resource, a media liaison or an animal advisor, let American Humane Association be your guide for safe use of animals on set. Contact us to learn how we can serve your production needs.
How to register your production and pre-production services.
Why Producers and Filmmakers Work with American Humane Association:
They care about human and animal safety
American Humane Association not only acts as the animals’ safety representative, but also protects both animal actors and cast/crew members interacting with the animals.
They know that budgets and time constraints can spell danger for human and animal cast members, and ensure that these pressures don’t compromise the safety or care of the animals.
They care about the credibility of their productions
Accidents and deaths due to natural causes can happen, despite everyone’s best efforts. American Humane Association verifies what happened and serves as the professional, credible, and objective witness. We spend hundreds of hours every year responding to rumors and accusations both on and off set for the distribution life of a production.
They want to promote their films
Ratings from American Humane Association can help increase the film’s distribution. Some distributors will not market a production without a certification from the American Humane Association, and networks often require a sign-off letter from American Humane Association before airing commercials with animals.
American Humane Association’s film reviews promote the production and provide interesting behind-the-scenes information regarding the treatment of the animals and the animal action.
