Written by Michelle Kretzer
HBO canceled its troubled horse-racing series Luck amid PETA's protests over horse deaths on the set, and the bad luck continues for the show's creators. Now HBO and the show's producer, Stewart Productions, have been hit with a lawsuit charging that they willfully allowed horses to be abused and attempted to cover it up.
Paolo Camera | cc by 2.0
The plaintiff in the suit is Barbara Casey, who worked for the American Humane Association (AHA) and was assigned to monitor animal welfare on the set of Luck. In her claim Casey asserts that HBO and Stewart Productions pressured the AHA to allow them to ignore animal safety standards in order to save time and money. Casey alleges that she balked at the idea but that her superiors sided with the show and ignored her desire to report abuse to law enforcement. Casey's claim also alleges that underweight and sick horses were routinely forced to work, that horses were often drugged, and that producers went so far as to misidentify horses so that animal safety representatives wouldn't be able to track down their accurate medical histories. Casey is also suing the AHA for wrongful termination on the grounds that her desire to report the criminal activity led to her dismissal.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Casey's lawsuit argues that "AHA bowed to political and financial pressure and refused to report the Production Defendants' conduct to the authorities. … AHA instructed Plaintiff not to report such conduct. AHA engaged in efforts to conceal and cover up the production defendants' criminal activities."
The law-enforcement investigation that PETA pushed for is still ongoing as well and could result in cruelty-to-animals charges.
As ever-more people join PETA and New Yorkers for Clean, Livable & Safe Streets (NYCLASS) in calling for a ban on New York's horse-drawn carriages, Alec Baldwin is taking advocacy for horses to primetime.
© StarMaxInc.com
In an upcoming episode of 30 Rock, people across the country will hear Alec's character, Jack Donaghy, call horse-drawn carriages "rolling torture wagons for nature's most dignified creature." That's the perfect way to describe the disgusting little business that forces horses to trudge along in all weather extremes, inhaling exhaust fumes and risking becoming one of the horses who are killed or injured by cars.
Here's what Alec had to say about the upcoming episode:
"Rolling torture wagons for nature's most dignified creature." That's how my 30 Rock character Jack Donaghy describes horse-drawn carriages, and it's why I agreed to appear in a scene featuring a carriage. It reflects my personal belief that New York should join Toronto, London, and Paris in outlawing hansom cabs from city centers. I've been speaking out with PETA against the cruelty of horse-drawn carriages for decades, and I'm thrilled that Intro. 86A, the bill to replace the carriages with eco-friendly classic replica cars, has garnered so much support in the City Council. I urge New Yorkers to contact their City Council members in support of the ban and people around the country to sign NYCLASS' petition.
So make like Kenneth the page and do as Mr. Donaghy says. If you live in New York, please contact your City Council representatives and urge them to pass Intro. 86A. If you are outside New York, please sign NYCLASS' petition to ban horse-drawn carriages.
Written by Jeff Mackey
Our hearts have been saddened by the shocking news that Jessie Streich-Kest—who worked closely with PETA on campaigns to end the use of horse-drawn carriages in New York City—was killed along with a friend by a falling tree in Brooklyn's Ditmas Park during Hurricane Sandy while walking her dog, Max, who is recovering from his injuries. Jessie was just 24 years old. PETA is paying tribute to her memory by adding her name to a leaf plaque on our Tree of Life.
Jessie was a dedicated advocate for animals who served as a field organizer for NYCLASS (New Yorkers for Clean, Livable and Safe Streets). She was outspoken about the need to shut down the horse-drawn carriage trade because of the miseries inflicted on the horses—including extreme weather, chaotic traffic, hard pavement, exhaust fumes, loud noises, inadequate care, and eventual slaughter—as well as the dangers to the public. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family at this difficult time.
What You Can Do
Although our hearts mourn the loss of Jessie, PETA is more determined than ever to realize her goal of improving the lives of New York's horses—and you can help. Please help us pay tribute to Jessie by urging City Council Speaker Christine Quinn to support legislation to phase out the use of horse-drawn carriages in favor of humane, safe, and eco-friendly electric versions of classic cars.
PETA is always saying that we wish people would put themselves in the place of animals. But if they won't, we'll do it for them. The founder of PETA and our affiliates worldwide, Ingrid E. Newkirk, let herself be hitched with a bit in her mouth to a horse-drawn carriage in order to help PETA India show Mumbai residents that they wouldn't like it if the horseshoe were on the other foot.
Ingrid let traffic at a busy intersection watch her struggle to pull the carriage, called a "Victoria," just as horses often do. But unlike horses, she didn't have to worry that if the load proved to be too heavy, the cart driver would yank on the spiked bit in her sore mouth or whip her mercilessly to make her force a few strained steps out of her trembling legs. And what do the horses get for their effort? They are denied adequate food, water, and rest and are kept in filthy, damp stables infested with biting insects. Many never receive any veterinary care in their entire lives.
And horse-drawn carriages aren't just dangerous for horses. Passengers and people standing nearby are often injured when horses collapse from exhaustion, get frightened and bolt, or collide with other vehicles.
A growing number of cities in India and around the world have banned horse-drawn carriages, and PETA India is working to make Mumbai the next. Stateside, you can join the campaign to get abused horses off New York City's congested streets.
On the heels of a Los Angeles Times report about whistleblowers' allegations that oversight failures may have led to animal injuries and deaths during film and TV productions, PETA was joined by Hollywood animal advocates Bob Barker and Sam Simon for a news conference calling for immediate action to protect animals.
PETA was flooded with complaints from whistleblowers after we released leaked information earlier this year about the deaths of horses on the set of HBO's Luck. The complaints that we've received include an incident in which a horse and rider were allegedly swept downstream in a scene from the upcoming film The Lone Ranger and the deaths of three horses on the set of The Hobbit. Many of the alleged incidents reportedly involved pressure from industry figures to put animals at risk in a wide range of movie and TV productions, including some that are still being filmed.
During the news conference at PETA's Bob Barker Building in Los Angeles, legendary The Price Is Right host Barker and The Simpsons co-creator Simon backed PETA's appeal for the American Humane Association (AHA)—the organization assigned to monitor the use of animals on TV and film sets—to launch an immediate investigation into the allegations. To ensure that the AHA's ratings have any meaning, PETA presented a series of recommendations for an overhaul of the monitoring system, including the following:
Producers, directors, and writers must also do their part. They must make sure that animal trainers with U.S. Department of Agriculture violations are not employed, that scenes aren't written that would endanger horses and wild animals, and that computer-generated imagery, animatronics, and other technology are used to replace animals. Animals should never have to die for our entertainment.
You can help horses, great apes, and other animals used in the entertainment industry by contacting the AHA right now. Use the form below to urge the AHA to swiftly implement a plan to protect all animal "actors."
PETA has sent an urgent letter to the board of directors of the American Humane Association (AHA) detailing reported allegations of incidents—some of them fatal—and lack of proper oversight involving animals on more than a dozen recent or current film and television productions purportedly monitored for animal safety by the AHA, as related to PETA by whistleblowers. PETA is asking the AHA to investigate the allegations and, if they prove to be valid, to fix any problems that allowed them to occur.
The AHA is the organization—known for its "No Animals Were Harmed" statement seen in film credits—tasked by Hollywood with monitoring the use of animals on TV and film sets. But it is not clear that this statement means what it seems to say. The deaths of horses on the set of HBO's Luck made it clear that AHA involvement didn't mean that animals were safe. After PETA took that matter public, the series was canceled—and PETA was contacted with reports about several other productions where animals allegedly died or were injured or put at risk. If the reports are substantiated, some of the problems could have been averted. Some of the assertions allege that AHA's management ignored problems or even helped set up the filming of sequences that were potentially dangerous for animals.
The productions about which concerns were conveyed to PETA include Moonrise Kingdom, Boardwalk Empire, The Hobbit, Failure to Launch, Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter, The Lone Ranger, and others. PETA was informed that the AHA ratings of some films do not reflect what occurred on set, that "Acceptable" ratings have been given when not all animal action was monitored, and that ratings were changed when the AHA feared information about problems on the set would be leaked. Some of the reported incidents allegedly resulted in injuries to animals and even their deaths.
Whether or not the whistleblowers' claims are verified or if the AHA institutes reforms, AHA ratings are based only on the short period of time when animals are on the set—they don't reveal anything about how the animals were trained or the conditions in which they live.
There is no reason to use animals as "actors" when animation, blue screen, computer-generated imagery, and other advanced technologies can produce realistic substitutes. If you see a movie that uses animals in an improper way or portrays animals disrespectfullly, walk out, and tell the theater manager that you'd like a refund and why. For television shows or commercials, express your objections to network representatives or the advertised company.
In a huge victory for horses—one that's sure to get even bigger as its effects are felt throughout the racing industry—the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission has approved a plan to phase out the use of the race-day medication furosemide, also known as Lasix and Salix, in races in the bluegrass state, following pressure from PETA, The Jockey Club, and other progressive forces within the industry to ban this dangerous practice.
tasweertaker|cc by 2.0
As PETA Vice President Kathy Guillermo explained when she addressed the commission in November, the prevalence of catastrophic breakdowns in horses has sparked a backlash against risky procedures such as the use of powerful performance-enhancing drugs.
Lasix, a powerful diuretic, not only causes horses to lose about 2 percent of their body weight in water (resulting in a weight advantage of roughly 20 pounds) but also increases urine production, which can mask the presence of other—often illegal—drugs by "flushing out" a horse's system. This enables unscrupulous trainers and veterinarians to run injured horses when they should be recovering by giving them a variety of drugs to mask pain and control inflammation, leading to breakdowns.
Most countries ban the use of Lasix on race days because of its performance-enhancing qualities, yet more than 90 percent of thoroughbreds in the U.S. are given the drug just hours before they race. But thanks to the efforts of PETA and other advocates for horses, the tide is turning.
With this latest victory, Lasix will be banned in 2014 for all 2-year-old graded and listed stakes races in Kentucky. Starting in 2015, Lasix will be banned in all 3-year-old graded and listed stakes races, which means that the Kentucky Derby will be Lasix-free in 2015! The next year, Lasix will be prohibited from all graded and listed stakes races regardless of age.
Join PETA in celebrating this important victory by keeping the momentum going—please contact your members of Congress and ask them to support the Interstate Horseracing Improvement Act, which will ban the use of performance-enhancing drugs and increase drug testing in all races.
Update: PETA has learned that the New York State Racing and Wagering Board has just announced a plan that it had previously formulated similar to what PETA proposed this morning, which will help ensure the safety of horses during the Belmont Stakes. PETA congratulates Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the board for taking these precautions. We urge the board to add the following critical measure: While currently New York Racing Association (NYRA) veterinarians are required for the administration of Lasix, we urge the board to require that only NYRA veterinarians supply and administer any medication, supplements, and vitamins as well as any other substances given to horses during the entire stakes barn-detention period in order to guarantee the safety of the horses.
I'll Have Another, the thoroughbred who recently won both the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness, would seem to be in an exalted position as the Belmont Stakes approaches—but even horses at the top of the racing world are at constant risk. I'll Have Another's trainer, Doug O'Neill, has been in hot water for drugging violations for more than a decade, and there's no reason to trust him now. That's why PETA is asking New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to take special measures to see that I'll Have Another is protected in the days leading up to the final Triple Crown race on June 9.
O'Neill has been cited more than a dozen times for violating numerous drug rules in multiple states, culminating in his suspension last week by the California Horse Racing Board. According to a recent New York Times report, O'Neill's horses also break down or show signs of injury at more than twice the national rate.
Gov. Cuomo cares about thoroughbreds—he recently took control of horse racing in his state, suspending the badly managed New York Racing Association and forming a government board charged with reforming drug use and protecting the health and safety of horses and jockeys. So PETA is urging Gov. Cuomo to follow through on this goal by putting I'll Have Another on round-the-clock surveillance in the five days before the Belmont to make sure that he won't be doped up on any of the dangerous substances that O'Neill has used in the past.
Jeff Kubina|cc by 2.0
If the governor acts, it will be another in a series of significant measures that PETA has helped put in place for horses used in racing, so let's keep the momentum going—speak up for horses today!
After PETA just filed formal complaints about horse abuse and neglect on the set of the HBO show Luck, we've placed this graphic ad in the Los Angeles Times:
Image:(c) iStockphoto.com/Eric Isselee
Like all other animals, horses don't want to be "actors," and they are often subjected to stressful and dangerous situations during the production of films, ads, and TV shows. The American Humane Association (AHA), the organization responsible for overseeing how animals are cared for on the set, is funded by the Screen Actors Guild—part of the same industry that it monitors. The AHA rarely, if ever, files formal complaints when animals are abused.
We hope our ad encourages producers and directors to protect horses by calling, "Cut!" on using them in films and television.
On the heels of trainer Doug O'Neill's win at the Kentucky Derby with I'll Have Another, The New York Times reported that in the past 14 years, O'Neill has had nearly that many violations for giving horses illegal performance-enhancing drugs. That O'Neill could be forcing horses to run when they shouldn't may account for the fact that the horses he trains sustain breakdowns or injuries more than twice as often, on average, as other thoroughbreds. Yet even with multiple drug violations, O'Neill is still sought after. Little oversight and lenient penalties make it too easy for him and other trainers to drug horses and get away with it.
banamine|cc by 2.0The U.S. is the only country that still allows routine and extensive use of drugs in horse racing, despite the overwhelming evidence that drugs are deadly for horses.
Long-Standing History of Drug Abuse
In fact, of the top 20 U.S. trainers in 2011, only two were never cited for a drug violation, according to Racing Commissioners International.
Leading trainer Todd Pletcher, who trained 2010 Kentucky Derby winner Super Saver, has been suspended several times for drug charges, fellow top trainer D. Wayne Lukas was caught running horses with cocaine in their systems, and Darrel Delahoussaye and Patrick Biancone have both had numerous drug violations, including citations for using snake venom. Rick Dutrow Jr., who trained 2008 Kentucky Derby winner Big Brown, racked up so many drug violations that he was banned from all New York racetracks for 10 years.
Last year, after a congressional hearing on the use of drugs in horseracing for which PETA supplied information, the Interstate Horseracing Improvement Act of 2011 was introduced, which would ban the use of performance-enhancing drugs and require that the winner and one other randomly chosen horse be tested for drugs at all races.
Please take a moment to ask your representatives to vote in favor of this much-needed legislation.
If you have a general question for PETA and would like a response, please e-mail Info@peta.org. If you need to report cruelty to an animal, please click here. If you are reporting an animal in imminent danger and know where to find the animal and if the abuse is taking place right now, please call your local police department. If the police are unresponsive, please call PETA immediately at 757-622-7382 and press 2.
Follow PETA on Twitter!