With the controversy surrounding a video revealing a stressed German Shepherd being forced to perform in artificial rapids on the set of A Dog’s Purpose, Universal Pictures has canceled the movie’s premiere, which was to have taken place in Los Angeles this Saturday.
There is no denying the anger regarding this issue and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has taken a step further by calling for a full boycott of the film. Universal and Amblin on Thursday issued a statement saying,
“Because Amblin’s review into the edited video released yesterday is still ongoing, distributor Universal Pictures has decided it is in the best interest of A Dog’s Purpose to cancel this weekend’s premiere and press junket. Amblin and Universal do not want anything to overshadow this film that celebrates the relationship between humans and animals. Since the emergence of the footage, Amblin has engaged with many associated with the production of the film, including safety personnel, trainers and stunt coordinators as part of their in-depth review. While we are all disheartened by the appearance of an animal in distress, everyone has assured us that Hercules the German Shepherd was not harmed throughout the filmmaking.”
