PETA calls for boycott of A Dog's Purpose after 'cruel' on-set video emerges

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has called for a boycott of the new movie ‘A Dog’s Purpose’, after a leaked on-set video emerged seeming to show a dog being forced into rushing water for a stunt.

TMZ released the video of a handler trying to get the German Shepherd to enter a pool of rapids, despite it appearing to be in distress, before pulling it out again by its collar.

According to reports, eight outboard boat motors were used in the tank to churn up the water, and the dog was one of five used on the movie, which shot in Winnipeg, Canada.

Steven Spielberg’s Amblin and Universal, who have seen the footage, said: “Fostering a safe environment and ensuring the ethical treatment of our animal actors was of the utmost importance to those involved in making this film and we will look into the circumstances surrounding this video.”

‘Frozen’ star Josh Gad, who provides the voice for the movie’s dog Bailey, said:

Meanwhile, director Lasse Hallström, who said he was on the film’s second unit at the time, responded on Twitter:

The dog was provided by Birds and Animals Unlimited, the leading provider of animal talent to the movie business, and a company with which PETA has previously accused of abusive practices.

Just last week, the charity revealed reports from a whistle-blower inside the company which alleged a range of abuses from poor living conditions to depriving animals of food for training purposes at its facility outside Hollywood.

PETA then filed a complaint along with the findings to the US Dept. of Agriculture.

So far, BAU has not commented on this latest matter, but it branded the evidence bought by PETA last week as ‘fiction’.

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