Former Olympian Lindsey Vonn has a new show on Amazon, The Pack, one that pits human-dog teams against each other in an Amazing Race-style competition. The series recently caught the attention of PETA. The organization released a statement condemning the series and its creators for one particular challenge.
According to The Wrap, two videos surfaced that showed raw footage of a challenge in the show’s third episode. This challenge tasked the teams with rappelling down the 108-foot Los Campesinos Falls in Costa Rica. The humans did the work while the dogs hung in harnesses. The videos showed the contestants trying to rappel down the rock face while the water cascaded down. The dogs, on the other hand, moved their paws about, trying to find a sturdy surface.
Videos by PopCulture.com
“Video footage of a dog dangling in midair from someone’s harness and paddling in a futile effort to gain his footing before getting swung into a rock face shows exactly where producers’ priorities lay for The Pack,” PETA said in a statement to The Wrap. “It seems that this clip ended up on the cutting room floor because producers knew that the dog was not enthusiastic and happy, but distressed. This senior dog should be curled up on a sofa, not thrown into one dangerous situation after another for the sake of ratings. No dog would choose to be part of this ‘pack.’”
A source with knowledge of the post-production process revealed information about the footage to The Wrap. The source said that the segment did not make it to air. Additionally, an editor was reportedly told to cut around the parts showing the human-dog teams in order to “make the scene work.”
In addition to releasing a statement about The Pack, PETA also sent a letter to Amazon’s head of unscripted programming, Chris Castallo. The organization said that the footage shows why dogs and animals shouldn’t be used for “ratings.” PETA said that it hoped Amazon would examine the footage and find ways to prevent similar situations in the future.
“We were alerted to this video of a senior dog dangling from someone’s harness and paddling in a futile effort to gain his footing before getting swung into a rock face, evidently during the filming of The Pack,” the letter stated. “Nothing about this dog says ‘happy to be here.’ He seems worried, and being attached to a climber ascending a rock face would obviously be terrifying for animals, rather than a ‘fun and exciting’ way of ‘celebrating their incredible bond’ with humans. The incident establishes exactly why real dogs and other animals don’t belong in films or on TV as well as the way their safety and well-being are sacrificed for ratings.”
Before the show’s release, the marketing said that “animal safety” was a priority. Amazon specifically mentioned the team of “accredited veterinarians and certified dog experts” that were on hand for the challenges. Executive producer Jay Bienstock also told Variety that the experts had “absolute power” on the set and could put a stop to any challenge.
