Let's start with a movie about an animal rights lawyer. In the movie Legally Blonde 2, the protagonist goes to Washington to lobby for a certain law. By the way, such a law has been in effect in Ukraine since July 2023. Do you know what it protects animals from?
In the movie Legally Blonde 2, lawyer Elle Woods goes to lobby for a law against cosmetic testing on animals. Such testing can cause blindness, internal bleeding, convulsions and death in animals. According to PETA, about a million animals die annually from painful experiments. In 2021, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine banned such testing by a resolution that came into effect in July 2023.
As for the draft law banning circuses with animals, it is still pending consideration by the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine. It should protect animals from being exploited for the sake of spectacles like those shown in the movie Water for Elephants. However, circuses like the one in this movie have already been banned in Ukraine by another law. Do you know what kind of circuses we don't have?
Travelling circuses, zoos and animal exhibitions are illegal in Ukraine. Since November 8, 2021, transporting animals in mobile zoos has been prohibited in our country.
Let's also talk about animal tricks. At the beginning of the movie The Prestige, a magician puts a dove in a cage, covers it with a cloth, claps his hands — and the cage with the bird disappears. Suddenly, the dove reappears in the magician's other hand. Spoiler alert: the bird in the cage dies each time, and a different one appears in the magician's hand. Do you know what to do if you witness someone killing or maiming an animal?
It's important to try to save the animal, but avoid physical contact with the perpetrator. Also, make sure to record a video of the crime — this will serve as evidence for the police, unlike an audio recording. For more tips on what to do in this situation, visit the UAnimals website.
In the movie Ace Ventura: Pet Detective, a dolphin is exploited in a different way: Snowflake serves as the mascot of the local football team. Eventually, he is kidnapped, and the main character, played by Jim Carrey, investigates the crime. However, the kidnapping is probably not the worst thing Snowflake has ever experienced. Do you know how dolphins are trained?
Dolphins often perform being extremely hungry, as 60% of their ration is deliberately withheld. The animals receive food as a reward for performing tricks. And if they refuse to obey, they are not fed until the next show or training session.
Now imagine this situation: you see a stray animal on the street and you’re ready to take it home. Just like Richard Gere's character in the movie Hachi: A Dog's Tale when he found a dog at the train station. Do you know what to do first in such a situation?
Animal rights activists advise taking the animal from the street to a veterinary clinic immediately so that it can be examined there, treated for parasites if necessary and given care recommendations. After all, the animal may require emergency veterinary care: who knows what it has gone through before meeting you?
In the movie Marley & Me, the protagonist also brings a dog home. However, with a certain purpose: his wife is supposed to take care of the dog to avoid dreaming of having a child. Of course, this is by no means about a conscious approach to bringing a pet into the household. In Spain, however, there is a requirement that helps to approach taking care of an animal in a more responsible way. What do you think it is?
In March 2022, the Spanish parliament passed an animal protection law requiring prospective dog owners to undergo special training.
Have you ever wondered why dogs are considered pets, while pigs are considered livestock? After all, their cognitive abilities are at the same level. This is well illustrated in the movie Babe, where a piglet becomes an even better shepherd than a sheepdog. Babe learns this to be useful to people and avoid ending up on the dinner table. By the way, there is a special term for species discrimination. Can you guess which one?
Discrimination based on belonging (or not belonging) to a certain biological species is called speciesism. An example is that in Ukraine, pigs are mostly killed for food, while dogs are considered companion animals.
In 2020, in Ukraine, director Vlad Robsky was preparing to shoot a comedy about another animal with high cognitive abilities — a monkey. It was the monkey that was supposed to start the plot by biting the protagonist during a photo shoot. Apparently, the animal took revenge for the cruel treatment. However, the law punishes not the clients, but the providers of photo services with wild animals. What do you think how it happens?
According to the Law of Ukraine, photo services with wild animals, except for zoos, circuses and dolphinariums, are considered administrative offenses. This is punishable by a fine of 3,400 to 8,500 hryvnias or administrative arrest for up to 15 days.
So, in Ukraine, it is a crime to make money from photos with wild animals. But killing animals for fur is still allowed. And this is in the 21st century! Our technology has greatly evolved since the times depicted in the movie The Revenant. In it, hunters killed beavers to make and sell fur coats. And even now, there are still 37 fur farms in Ukraine where around 800,000 minks are killed annually. How many of these animals do you think die for one fur coat?
To make one fur coat, 25-45 minks are killed.
And finally, about the hopeful thing, namely animal liberation. In the movie Mr. Popper's Penguins, the characters transport birds from New York to their native Antarctica. And what can you do if you find a wild animal?
Depending on the species and condition of the animal, you should act differently. However, the universal advice in such a situation is to seek advice from experts at a rehabilitation centre or veterinary clinic.
Here you go!
It seems you've just started to get interested in animal protection. Movies are a good start, but look for more evidence-based information in UAnimals media publications, on the UAnimals website and social media. And you can thank us for these tips with a small donation :)
Wow!
You have a pretty good knowledge of movies and animal protection. Would you like to join us as a volunteer? In any case — keep it up! Look for more evidence-based information in UAnimals media publications, on the UAnimals website and social media. And you can thank us for these tips with a small donation :)
Bravo!
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