Senate passes a bill allowing movie extras to use their pets without filing paperwork

The Senate passed a bill Thursday night that would exempt animals used as “extras” in movies and television from protections in the Animal Welfare Act.

Sen. David Vitter (R-La.) introduced the bill, which amends the Animal Welfare Act so that actors appearing as extras who use their own pets in a scene don’t have to submit paperwork proving they are humanely caring for their pet.

“Currently, if you’re a movie extra and have your dog with you — you’re subject to burdensome paperwork and approval from a [United States Department of Agriculture] bureaucrat,” Vitter’s press secretary Luke Bolar said. “Sen. Vitter’s bill eliminates the unnecessary regulation.”

The part of the Animal Welfare Act that was amended was originally intended to protect animals that are used exclusively for commercial purposes, such as in zoos or circuses, but like their human counterparts, animal extras receive very little compensation and aren’t subjected to long movie shoots.  

Vitter’s amendment, which passed by unanimous consent, presumes that because a pet owner’s reasons for owning a domesticated pet, such as a dog or cat, are personal in nature, the pet owner has an interest in maintaining the animal’s welfare and therefore shouldn’t have to prove they are providing a caring environment for the animal.

S. 3666 clarifies that common, domesticated pets owned by individual citizens should not be included in the definition of “exhibitor” in the Animal Welfare Act.

Louisiana ranks third behind California and New York for filmmaking locations within the United States.

---

More from The Hill:
• Obama to accept corporate donations for second inauguration
• Hispanic Democrat says Obama is missing in action on immigration
• Crunch time for US negotiators working to keep Internet rules out of UN treaty

---

---