Detailed Animal Action Report

American Humane Society was on set to ensure every animal in this film was treated with care, respect and kindness. From alpacas and baby goats to cows and guinea pigs, professional trainers and animal wranglers made sure the animals were comfortable and safe at every stage of filming. Whether it was gently guiding an alpaca into a cozy, carpeted car or letting goats explore a rooftop pen just long enough for the camera to roll, their well-being always came first. Scenes with cows, ponies and petting zoo animals were carefully planned so the animals could move naturally and remain calm in familiar, secure environments. Thanks to thoughtful handling and constant monitoring, all the animal stars were kept happy, healthy, stress-free, while making sure No Animals Were Harmed™

Full Details:

In the scene where the actor pulls up to a house and sees a car where there’s an alpaca in the backseat and baby goats in a cage on the top of the car, all animals were kept in their cages and temporary fencing until required on set. Before filming, the car was driven to base to allow trainers to place the animals into their cages. They first placed the goats into the large cage on the car’s roof. The car was then driven to set.

Once on set, the vehicle was driven onto the driveway and stopped at its mark. Prior to filming, the wrangler led the alpaca to the back of the car. The back seat had been removed and a thick carpet was laid on the floor of the car. As the alpaca was led into the car, the trainer stood at the open back window on the other side of the car, holding a carrot. They easily loaded her into the car and the lead was tied to the tethering hook. This allowed enough movement for her to have her head out of the back window (the window was only half down). After filming the scene, they brought the animals back to their holding areas and gave them water and food.

In the scene where we see the car drive down the road with cows in the background, before filming the cows were herded in from their overnight paddocks away from the roadside, and into their roadside paddocks. During this set up, the wrangler monitored the cows reaction to all passing cars. They all settled into their new paddock and appeared calm and willing to move around. After they got the shot, they moved the cows back to the barn.

In the scene where there’s a petting zoo in a park at a children’s party, the sheep, goats, ponies and alpacas were brought to set and placed in the pen. The guinea-pigs and rabbits and cockatoo were brought to set in plastic small animal carriers. A pig was placed in his pen immediately prior to filming. On action, the actors delivered their lines with the animals in the background. All animals appeared to be calm throughout filming. After they wrapped, the animals were evaluated and placed back into their carriers/trailers.