PETA Asks New Zealand Authorities to Open Investigation Into Unforgivable Animal Deaths in Making of 'The Hobbit'

Dozens of Deaths Likely a Result of Criminal Negligence, Group Believes

For Immediate Release:
November 26, 2012

Contact:
Wendy Wegner 202-483-7382 

Los Angeles -- Whistleblowers' reports of the apparently preventable deaths of dozens of animals—including three horses and numerous sheep, goats, and chickens—on the New Zealand set of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey have prompted PETA to call for New Zealand's Ministry of Primary Industries to investigate all the allegations and, if appropriate, charge those responsible for the violations.

"According to PETA's reports, the dozens of deaths on the set of The Hobbit—from horses who tumbled over embankments to chickens torn apart by unsupervised dogs—could have been prevented if the production company hadn't ignored the concerns of its own animal wranglers," says PETA Senior Vice President Lisa Lange. "New Zealand authorities must send a message to the international film community that no production, however high-profile, can get away with fatally neglecting animals."

For more information, please visit PETA.org. 

PETA's letter to New Zealand Minister of Primary Industries David Carter is available here.