A complaint has been lodged by the animal welfare pressure group Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) against leading Hollywood company Birds and Animals Unlimited, alleging maltreatment of animals and falsification of records.
The Hollywood Reporter has obtained copies of Peta’s complaints, which were sent to the US Department of Agriculture, the county of Los Angeles and the California Department of Fish and Wildlife, against Birds and Animals Unlimited, which has supplied animals for We Bought a Zoo, Anchorman and the Harry Potter films.
Among the allegations are that a pig’s “bloody, raw lesions” remained untreated, dogs were left outside with no bedding, a kangaroo died after a broken jaw was not treated and penguins were provided with only a “small, chlorinated pool” to swim in.
In a statement provided to the Hollywood Reporter, Birds and Animals Unlimited describes Peta’s claims as “fiction”, and says its animals are “treated with love and respect, compassion, kindness and all appropriate medical attention”. The company also say it has an “exemplary” record of inspections by the relevant authorities.
A USDA spokesperson said: “We have received the complaint and we will be looking into it.”
