'Brokeback Mountain' No Love Story for Its Animal Actors

http://releases.usnewswire.com/GetRelease.asp?id=61728


To: National Desk, Entertainment reporter

Contact: Kathryn Jahnigen, 303-925-9418, 303-908-9904 (cell), kathrynj [at] americanhumane.org or Ripley Forbes, 703-294-6690, 703-628-6002; or Karen Rosa, 818-501-8725, 818-425-9404 - all of the American Humane Association

DENVER, March 1 /U.S. Newswire/ -- In a letter today to "Brokeback Mountain" director Ang Lee, the American Humane Association -- the authority behind the "No Animals Were Harmed"(r) End Credit Disclaimer on film and television productions -- expressed dismay over reports that animal care and protection guidelines were violated during the Oscar-nominated movie's filming in Canada.

Citing numerous public inquiries to American Humane's Film & Television Unit, President and CEO Marie Belew Wheatley said, "The excessively rough handling of the sheep and horses leaves viewers questioning whether anyone was looking out for the safety of those animals. And many also wonder how the filmmakers got the elk to lose its footing and crumple to the ground 'on cue' after being shot. They ask if our safety protocols were in place to protect the animals during filming. The answer is: They were not."

Wheatley said she recently learned that anesthesia was reportedly used on an elk to portray a hunting scene. The practice of anesthetizing animals solely for the purpose of entertainment violates the American Humane Association's "Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media," which is the standard for animal handling practices in the film and television industry.

"Using anesthesia to facilitate filming has been prohibited since 1997 after causing several animal deaths during a production," said Karen Rosa, director of American Humane's Film & TV Unit. "Regardless of how it's administered, anesthesia endangers an animal's life and health. That's why we require production companies to find alternatives -- like humane training or digital enhancement -- that create the same effect without jeopardizing the animal's safety."

American Humane contends that, by not adhering to established animal care guidelines, "Brokeback Mountain" sends a dangerous and wrong message: That the film industry and the viewing public condone animal endangerment for entertainment's sake. The American Humane Association's Film & TV Unit is the only organization authorized to monitor animal safety on the set of domestically filmed Screen Actors Guild productions. Because "Brokeback Mountain" was produced in Canada, the production company was able to circumvent use of the Guidelines and oversight by the American Humane Association. "Filming abroad may be a cost-cutting measure, but the animals shouldn't have to pay the price," Rosa said.

About the American Humane Association

Founded in 1877, the American Humane Association is the oldest national organization dedicated to protecting both children and animals. Through a network of child and animal protection agencies and individuals, the American Humane Association develops policies, legislation, curricula, and training programs to protect children and animals from abuse, neglect, and exploitation. The nonprofit membership organization, headquartered in Denver, raises awareness about The Link(r) between animal abuse and other forms of violence, as well as the benefits derived from the human-animal bond. American Humane's regional office in Los Angeles is the authority behind the "No Animals Were Harmed"(r) End Credit Disclaimer on TV and film productions, and American Humane's office in Washington is an advocate for child and animal protection at the state and federal levels. Visit http://www.americanhumane.org to learn more.