Nationwide Protests Organized At Theaters Showing A Dog’s Purpose

After a video of a dog being forced into rapidly moving water during the filming of A Dog's Purpose leaked, people denounced the movie on social media. The animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called on everyone to boycott the film, and many joined in. The movie came out Friday, and animal rights activists met outside theaters to voice their objections. PETA organized protests around the country, Deadline reports. Some of their signs played with the movie title. "A dog's purpose isn't to be a prop," read one outside Hollywood's ArcLight theater. "A dog's purpose is to be loved. Period," said another. PETA's senior vice president Lisa Lange, who was present at the same protest, told The Los Angeles Times she was "horrified" by the video. "If this can happen on a set where people actually care about animals, it shows how deeply entrenched the problems are in the industry," she said. The CBC also reported protests outside Winnipeg's Scotiabank Theatre. PETA campaigner Emily Lavender said at the event that the organization was "asking compassionate moviegoers to send a message to the film industry that animals shouldn't be abused for film." Protests were organized in at least 30 cities total, according to Variety, including New York, D.C., Chicago, Atlanta, San Diego, Seattle, and Las Vegas. Amblin Partners and Universal Pictures said they maintained "an ethical and safe environment for the animals" during the filming. Nevertheless, American Humane is investigating the incident caught on video, and the safety representative was placed on leave.