When the movie Snow Buddies was released, there was a controversy surrounding the puppies. Animal rights groups, such as PETA, claimed that more than 40 of the puppies were sick. They pleaded with Disney to stop the film, but the studio refused. However, this did not stop PETA from spreading its message about the film's poor treatment of animals. They went on to say that the puppies had been subjected to a parvovirus outbreak.
25 Puppies
The producers of the upcoming animated feature Snow Buddies have been accused by Animal Rights activists of ignoring a growing animal welfare crisis. The organization, People For The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), claims problems were discovered on the Vancouver set of the film. They faxed Disney CEO Bob Iger with details of their concerns and asked him to cancel the distribution of the film. PETA claims that the production company illegally transported puppies from a New York puppy mill for the film.
Shasta's parents were killed in a dog sled race and his puppies are now determined to help him reach his goals. They must get to the finish line on time, but they must do it without their parents' help. Ultimately, Shasta must convince Talon to teach the puppies what they need to do in order to succeed.
Indoor Set
The production company, Keystone Productions, bought 25 Golden Retriever puppies from a commercial breeder in White Lake, N.Y., which is about two hours outside of New York City. The puppies were transported to the Snow Buddies indoor set by an employee. After arriving, the puppies underwent veterinary checks.
Before filming began, trainers prepared the puppies for the cold. They gave each puppy about an hour of playtime. After the puppies were tired, they were placed on blankets and put to sleep. After an hour or so, the trainers moved them to their marks. The set was checked for debris and the set was fenced to prevent the puppies from getting out.
The puppies pulled hollow plastic logs attached to harnesses. The trainers would call the puppies to look in different directions. The trainers would release the puppies on a slight hill to make the pulling easier. The puppies first pulled Adam, who was attached to a gangline. Two trainers held the harness until the director called for action. The child actor fell to the ground when the puppies pulled.
Parvovirus Outbreak
There have been many questions posed about the puppy deaths in Snow Buddies and what happened to dogs in movie. American Humane has released a statement on the subject. The organization is deeply concerned about the deaths of these puppies and which dogs died in Snow buddies. It is currently investigating the case with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Investigations Department. The animals were taken from their mothers at an early age and were underdeveloped, which made them more vulnerable to illness. While there are precautions to avoid exposing young animals to the illness, it is still possible that they could contract the virus.
The producers of Snow Buddies took 25 six-week-old puppies from a U.S. breeder and brought them to British Columbia for filming. The production company did not inform the American Humane of this alleged practice. When the AHA arrived on the set of the movie, they discovered 15 puppies were already on set and another five were still in the U.S. The puppies were very young and the 3000-mile journey took its toll on them.
Illegal Transport of Puppies to Vancouver
There have been reports of people selling puppies illegally in Vancouver. Many people are outraged by this, but some question whether it is legal. A Twitter user, @Finnsspace, shared pictures of the puppies being sold near the Vancouver City Centre Canada Line station at Georgia and Granville streets. The pictures show a large crowd of people gathered around the puppies. The Twitter user said that the puppies had been for sale for at least a couple of weeks.
The sheriff's department says the man is being investigated for animal transport violations. When WISN 12 News visited the facility, it was crowded with people looking to adopt a puppy. The workers at the shelter named each puppy after a state in the U.S.
Filming of Snow Buddies
A puppy-killing virus recently hit the filming set of the new movie Snow Buddies. The American Humane Association and American Humane Action are monitoring the situation closely, but have not yet identified the breeder responsible for the outbreak. While filming of the movie is expected to resume as soon as possible, the production was forced to temporarily suspend production.
Disney has been accused of ignoring the growing animal cruelty crisis, and people's rights organizations are trying to get Disney to do something about it. PETA, an organization promoting animal welfare, is claiming that the film's set conditions are illegal. They allege that puppies from an illegal puppy mill in New York were transported to Vancouver for filming. While it's unclear whether these puppies were harmed during filming, PETA has asked the company to stop the film's release.