Amazon Prime reportedly canceled The Pack after PETA slammed the show over leaked footage showing dogs hanging over a steep drop and slamming into rocks while being tied to people sliding against a cliff face.
The Wrap reports that the Amazing Race style series, presented by Olympian Lindsey Vonn and her dog Lucy, features humans and their poochies competing in challenges described by the animal rights group as ‘dangerous situations’.
Editing videos on the floor of the room, apparently taken from a cell phone, show the little ones hanging between their owner’s legs as they descend into the rock face and clap their feet in a desperate attempt to get to safety move.
The videos were taken from raw material and shot in the 108-meter Los Campesinos waterfall in Costa Rica for the third installment of the program, reports The Wrap.
The program was released on November 20 on Amazon Prime and ten episodes of the program are available for streaming. The leaked footage was not used in the episode.
WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE
Amazon Prime has reportedly canceled its new reality show The Pack after a video was leaked in which pets crash into a waterfall with their owners
Images show dogs crashing into a cliff face in Costa Rica while tied up in armor
PETA said it was ‘delighted’ that the show was canceled and praised Amazon for the ‘compassionate decision’
Dog trainers helped teach little ones specific skills needed to take part in show challenges
Amazon put the focus on animal safety in marketing, which led to the release of the show, including hiring dog trainers who helped design challenges
Daily Mail contacts Amazon for confirmation and additional information.
Lewis Crary, PETA’s assistant manager of Pets Animals in the film and television division, told DailyMail.com that the organization was “so excited that Amazon made the compassionate decision to cancel this show.”
‘When dogs are used for film and television, they get the short end of the stick. On a set, time is money and animal needs are harmed in the name of ratings, ‘Crary said.
‘Nothing says 2020 like a reality show that dogs hang over waterfalls and swing in rock walls. Animals are individuals and are not props and gimmicks to use for reality TV. ‘
Crary added that the organization is responding to the ‘disturbing images’ in the repulsive videos, but is also concerned about the possibility of other unused content.
The show is hosted by Olympic skier Lindsey Vonn and her dog Lucy
Vonn (36) won the gold medal in downhill during the 2010 Winter Olympics
“It’s actually the unknown – if this series was comfortable with the scene, what did we not see otherwise and what Amazon’s executives still knew was forcing their hand to cancel it,” he said.
‘Being part of a suit means protecting your companion, not attaching to a harness and dropping helplessly into a cliff. PETA hopes that all those involved will take a lesson from the footage and the moment of clarity from Amazon. ‘
According to a report in Amazon, Amazon has shifted its focus to animal safety in marketing, leading to the show’s premiere.
Dog trainers were encouraged to teach the little ones specific skills needed to compete and were consulted on developing challenges.
“All the dogs ride in tested harnesses or carriers, and we did not just put the ropes on the dogs,” said trainer Nicole Ellis.
‘We really broke it down: showed them a rig, [they] got a treat; showed them a harness, [they] got a treat. It was several steps before they even wore a harness. And that goes for safety goggles, outdoor gear, equipment. ‘
Executive producer Jay Bienstock told the point of sale that dog safety experts have “absolute power” in the field to address issues.
If the dog’s safety says, ‘Stop it,’ we’ll stop. We gave them everything, ‘he said.
The 36-year-old Vonn, an alpine skier, won the gold medal in downhill at the 2010 Winter Olympics – the first one for an American woman. She announced her retirement from professional skiing in 2019, citing injuries.