On January 27, A Dog’s Purpose was viewed with less than stellar reviews. The most popular reason being because of a German Shephard being forced into rushing water. The claim was the dog had no idea this was all just for a movie and was therefore abused. PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) called for people to stay away from this movie.

The dogs were also handled a little roughly as one is left in a hot car and another is dragged forcefully by its collar. The filmmakers dismissed all claims of abuse and say the photos are made to look worse than they are.

Now a few weeks later, the video had been found to be overly edited. The dog was put into a warming tent right after the scene and someone was hired to ensure all of the animals were treated humanely.

When asked about this film, many SUA students replied that they do not support animal abuse, but would still go see the movie if the plot was good. Kristen Roberts ’19 said she would go if her friends were, but would not support the abuse. Bree Wyenandt ’19 took a more definitive stance saying she would refuse to go at all. She does not her money to go to the moviemakers that support animal abuse.

It is often hard to tell with Hollywood movies the amount of abuse that goes on behind the scenes and that is one topic that PETA directly addresses. It is not fair to the animals and some say they shouldn’t be used at all. Animation is often perceived as a common trait in children’s movies and therefore takes the idea of virtual animals out of the picture.

Overall, the topic of animal abuse will always be a controversial issue. Movie makers have been stereotyped to only be focused on doing things the cheap and fast way, but with all of the movements today the film world is looking better.