This is the shocking moment a Chinese TV crew forces a bucking horse to repeatedly kick at a tied-up dog, leaving the helpless pooch in agony.
The incident took place at Hengdian World Studio, the world’s largest film and television production studio, in the city of Jinhua in the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang while shooting the Chinese period drama ‘Held in the Lonely Castle’.
Video Credit: AsiaWire
In the footage, an actor in period costume is seen astride a horse as it bucks at a tied-up dog.
In the next scene, the poor dog is seen lying on the ground in apparent distress before trying to stand up and being unable to.
The videos were widely shared on Chinese social network Weibo, prompting outrage.
A PETA Asia spokesperson said: “The video shows the suffering dog being dragged and kicked. This is not the first time a film crew has abused animals.
“Many productions today use CGI and technology to recreate certain scenes with animals, such as the dire wolves in ‘Game of Thrones’.
“Productions should be humane and not abuse animals.”
Meanwhile, producers took to Weibo to deny the allegations of animal abuse and claimed that the dog is a beloved member of their team.
They said that the dog was protected from the bucking horse and that they even used a fake horse leg to finish the shoot.
Netizen ‘Wang Er’ commented: “It is obvious that there is a guy pulling the rope to force the dog towards the horse’s legs. I don’t understand the definition of animal abuse in some people’s eyes.”
‘Yunlei’ said: “I will never watch a TV series produced by this ‘compassionate’ team’!”
‘Jinglinjiang’ wrote: “Chinese TV and film companies are so unprofessional!”
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Story By: Buli Liang, Sub-Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report
