A Dog’s Purpose, advertised as a heartwarming tale of pet and master bondage, has been an anticipated treat for dog lovers everywhere—that is, until TMZ’s video leak last week, showcasing the film’s star canine actor, a German Shepherd named Hercules, treated abusively on set. The circulating video captures Hercules being forced into rough water to replicate a scene from the original book the movie is based on. Not only do Hercules’ physical actions in the clip indicate distress, but background laughter and a voice yelling, “Just gotta throw him in,” speak volumes for the handlers’ neglect for the innocent animal’s struggle.
The leak suggests that production team does not hold the same values as its film is advertised to portray, and animal activists are outraged. Lisa Lang, PETA Senior Vice President of Communications speaks out against the movie on Entertainment Tonight Canada, stating, “forcing dogs into terrifying situations on a movie set is not acceptable. It is not a dogs purpose.” PETA has called for a boycott of the film and Twitter users have taken to the hashtag, #BoyCottADogsPurposeMovie, to support the cause.
The movie has issued an apology for mistakes, though has not taken full responsibility for abuse. Dennis Quaid, A Dog’s Purpose’s lead human actor, defends the producers on Ellen, reporting that in all of the interactions he witnessed on set, dogs “were treated with the greatest respect and care and compassion,” and adding he believes “this video does not tell the entire story.”
Additional rumors suspect that PETA’s heightened response is less connected to A Dog’s Purpose, and more to their movement to end animal involvement in the film industry as a whole. Ellen herself expresses skepticism as to why the leak, taken from a 2015 filming, was not released sooner if the protestors truly had the animal’s best interest in mind.
“If you see a dog that is being forced to do something or is treated badly—“ urges the talk show host, “[say] something the next day—don’t wait [until] the movie comes out and boycott the whole movie.”
Still, the clip cannot be unseen, and it is difficult to excuse the distress that is so clearly inflicted upon Hercules the dog.
A Dog’s Purpose will be showing in theatres starting Friday, January 27, and it will be up to the general public to decide what to do from there. Should we celebrate the storyline in the midst of the film’s wrongdoings, or has this recent discovery made it morally wrong to do even that?