Film & TV Unit

Not just movies -- American Humane monitors animal action in television shows, commercials and student films.

Television Programs:

American Humane Certified Animal Safety Representatives™ monitor animals used in many television programs.

Before American Humane can issue a disclaimer to a production, we must first screen the program. After we determine that American Humane’s Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media were followed and that no animals were harmed, American Humane can issue the end-credit disclaimer. Television episodes are compiled and edited mere days or sometimes hours before they air; therefore, productions often do not have time to include the disclaimer in the end credits. When the disclaimer does appear in the credits, it typically scrolls quickly and is difficult to notice.

Here are a few television programs that contained animal action monitored by American Humane:

American Humane also monitors non-scripted programs, such as Animal Planet’s Puppy Bowl, Puppy Games and Animal Witness, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, 1 vs. 100, and Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader.

American Humane monitored certain episodes and scenes from Groomer Has It and Greatest American Dog,* which are considered reality shows. *Most reality programs are not Screen Actors Guild productions; therefore, they are not required to notify American Humane when animals are being filmed. And, unfortunately, reality programs typically do not contact American Humane to have their animal action monitored.

You can help change this. When you see a reality show that features animals that were not monitored by American Humane, contact the network that aired the program and express that you will not watch the program until it has American Humane’s involvement.

Commercials

American Humane Certified Animal Safety Representatives™ also monitor animals used in many television commercials. But because ads are short and have no “end credits,” they typically do not carry American Humane’s “No Animals Were Harmed” end-credit disclaimer.

So, while the public might not know whether a commercial was monitored by American Humane, the networks do. The policy of most networks is that a commercial containing an animal may not air unless it is accompanied by American Humane’s formal “Sign-Off” letter, which is issued only if American Humane determines that our Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media were followed and that no animals were harmed.

The Vitamin Water commercial with Shaq riding a horse on a racetrack? No animals were harmed. Those Aflac commercials with the cute duck that quacks the insurance company’s name? No animals were harmed.

Here are a few products whose recent commercials contained animal action monitored by American Humane:

Student/Short Films Monitored or Rated:

Here are a few Student Films and Short Films that American Humane monitored or issued an American Humane rating or disclaimer: