With outrage over the news that the Olympic Opening Ceremony today will include the use of over 100 animals, many were relieved to hear that at least these animals would afterwards be homed at animal shelters, rather than being slaughtered. Ceremony creator Danny Boyle wrote to the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) at the end of June, assuring the group that he would “vigorously” seek out sanctuaries for all the animals involved.
But in a separate letter sent from 2012 organisers to Captive Animals Protection Society just this week, Olympics committee’s director of ceremonies Bill Morris stated that the animals will return to “future roles in movies and theatre”.
PETA has said it is “livid” that the animals will spend the rest of their lives being hired out for film and theatre productions as this is extremely stressful for them.
A spokesman said: “PETA is livid at the London 2012 Organising Committee’s new revelation that the animals used as props in this Friday’s Olympics opening ceremony will continue to be used by the entertainment industry after the event and ultimately face an uncertain fate.
“This is contrary to a personal assurance from Danny Boyle that he would ‘vigorously’ look into sanctuaries to retire them to.
“Far from the fictional scene of free-living animals on lush green pastures that these animals will be involuntarily portraying in the opening ceremony, they are, in reality, to spend the rest of their lives being hired out for film and theatre productions for humans’ financial gain.
“This is highly stressful to prey animal species like geese, chickens, cows, and sheep.
“It is rare indeed that any farmed animals exploited for entertainment enjoy a happy ending once their performing days are over, with most ending up on the chopping block.”