ever wonder?

Ever wonder what television and movie producers have to do in order to display the disclaimer, "No animals were harmed?"

A guest at the Denver Pet Partners volunteer meeting on Saturday, June 6th, provided inside information about the crucial and fascinating work of the Film and TV Unit of American Humane.

Karen Rosa, unit director, explained to Denver Pet Partners their role in assuring the safety of all animals, from insects to elephants, that are used in television shows and movies.

Certified Animal Safety Representatives are sent to the sets to observe the filming and verify the health and welfare of the animals. Many hold advanced degrees in animal behavioral sciences.

Safety Reps may have species-specific expertise or may be generalists with knowledge of an array of animals (here is information on becoming a rep )

"Established in 1940, American Humane’s Film & Television Unit is the leading authority on the safe use of animals in film. We are the only animal welfare organization in the world with on-set jurisdiction from the Screen Actors Guild to supervise the use of animals.

We are also the only organization with the authority to issue our renowned “No Animals Were Harmed”® end-credit disclaimer."

In some early movies, animals were deliberately harmed in order to produce realistic, albeit inhumane, effects. In order for horses to fall in the battles in the 1936 film, "The Charge of the Light Brigade," they were tripped with wires, and had to be put down after the photo shoot due to broken legs. One horse in another movie was run over the edge of a cliff into a river and subsequently broke his back. This brutal treatment was put to an end due to the dedication of American Humane.

The Screen Actors Guild is very grateful for the partnership of the Film and TV Unit of American Humane, because they want their audience to know they have not harmed the animals in their movies. There is no other organization that does this work, and American Humane has all rights to the four words, "No animals were harmed." There are a few specific designations, or ratings, they apply to the films as well. For instance, the rating "Outstanding" means they approve of the entore film and "Acceptable" means it was overall acceptable but not all scenes were monitored.

Now you know.

many thanks to Denver Pet Partners and Denver Dynamic Dogs for this information.