There is nothing glamorous about showbiz for primates, big cats, bears, and other animals that are used in television, film, or advertising; exploited as sports mascots; or used as props in Nativity displays. Torn away from their mothers as infants, these animals are subjected to abusive training methods and forced to spend most of their lives in small, filthy cages, deprived of everything that is natural and important to them.
Trainers who supply animals to the entertainment industry are frequently cited by the AWBI, which establishes only minimal guidelines for animal care.
Though almost all films display the pre-screening note that “no animals were harmed during filming of the show”, the AWBI’s Performing Animal Sub-Committee claims that quite often they find scenes in films which they neither saw, nor cleared. Pre-shoot permission is first granted, following which a CD of the clips is viewed and cleared. After the AWBI gives their NOC, the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC) passes the film.
The Broadcasting Content Complaints Council (BCCC) issued an advisory on depiction of animals/wildlife in television programmes to TV channels “not to produce, support the production of, purchase and broadcast content that is in any way harmful to the health and well-being, as well as the depiction, or any animal or species”.
In 2016, the GOI banned the screening of any visuals depicting cruelty to animals on television, soon after many television channels showed horrific scenes of dogs being burnt alive and another dog being flung from a terrace.
The Cable Television Networks Rules, 1994 was amended (The Cable Television Networks (Amendment) Rules, 2016) to ban the screening of any content that “depicts cruelty or violence towards animals in any form or provides unscientific belief that causes harm to animals.” This new provision will also apply to films shown on TV. The AWBI has also been pressing the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting that films shot inside India by local filmmakers or outside India by foreign filmmakers and imported into India should seek a NOC from AWBI to ascertain that no animal was harmed during the film.
Dog shows are organised to promote “purebred” dogs and to reinforce the stereotype that purebreds are better than Indian dogs. However, purebred dogs are already in trouble because of the genetic problems that plague many breeds as a result of inbreeding. Such shows only add to the demand for purebreds and thus encourage breeders to breed more and more dogs.
Dog shows themselves can also be a problem for purebred dogs. Sometimes dogs die in shows when they were made to run in extreme heat in order to test their competitive skills.
Breeding is encouraged for appearance matters that have nothing to do with the health of the dogs and sometimes affect it adversely. Pugs, for instance, notoriously have difficulty in breathing because of their short snouts. “Pedigree” animals are also susceptible to medical problems that arise from inbreeding and that are costly to treat or even life-threatening. Many purebred dogs are prone to hip dysplasia, heart defects, respiratory problems, epilepsy, eye and ear infections, back pain and other ailments. Mixed-breed dogs, on the other hand, tend to be healthier and more even-tempered than their purebred cousins are.
1) Primates, elephants, bears, big cats, and other wild animals used for film and television productions are born in captivity and typically taken away from their mothers at birth so that they become dependent on humans for survival. These animals are often abused and mistreated in order to get them to do exactly what their trainers want them to do on sets, where time is money.
2) Wild-animal “performers” are sometimes subjected to abusive training methods like beatings, electric prods, psychological torment, and food deprivation so that they will perform. When they reach adulthood and are no longer easily dominated, many animals are discarded at zoos or other substandard facilities.
3) Chimpanzees and other great apes used in television shows reach adolescence at around 7 or 8 years old, become aggressive and dangerous to work with. At that point, they are discarded by trainers and may suffer for years in tiny cages at zoos, sometimes isolated from other primates.
4) Domesticated animals can suffer behind the scenes, also, and may even be killed during filming. Most of the injuries and deaths occurred where the animals are housed. Goats and sheep die from worm infestations and from falling into sinkholes, horses go over steep embankments and die. Numerous chickens also get killed by unsupervised carnivorous animals or trampled by other animals when left unprotected.
No animal deserves to be abused or killed for “entertainment.” One may side-line these cruel “sports” by never attending or supporting them.
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