The recent film Water For Elephants, based on the best-selling novel by Sara Gruen, was a box office success surpassing $100 million dollars worldwide. Many dog lovers enjoyed seeing Jack Russell terrier “Queenie” perform in the film. While we have become accustomed to seeing dog actors in many films (Marley and Me, Turner and Hooch, Homeward Bound), the treatment of other animals in the film starring Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson – namely the elephants – has come under tight scrutiny.
Animal Defenders International (ADI) released a video showing what many consider abusive training of Tai the elephant, who is owned by “Have Trunk Will Travel,” a California company that supplies performing animals to the movie and advertising industries. However, the film’s producers and stars, and even American Humane (which was on set during the making of the movie to ensure the ethical, humane treatment of the animals) issued statements assuring the public that no animals were harmed in any way during filming. Either way, the debate has given rise to a larger conversation and heated disputes about the treatment of circus animals in general.
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Tags: Cesar's Way, circus, dogs, history, pets
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