PETA attacks HBO show ‘Luck’ over horse deaths

LOS ANGELES — PETA has called for tighter rules to ensure animal safety in TV and film, after two horses were put down during filming for HBO drama "Luck."

The horses were injured during the making of the show, which is set in the world of horse racing and stars Dustin Hoffman, The Digital Journal reported. According to the Hollywood Reporter, the show has already garnered over 3 million viewers. It is currently running on HBO, and a second season has been commissioned.

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PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) alleged that safety standards were inadequate on the series, as well as across the industry, according to BBC News, and have reported that “while filming the show’s pilot, a horse suffered a severe fracture after falling during a race sequence and was euthanized. Another horse was killed while filming a later episode.”

"Breakdowns don't just happen," said Kathy Guillermo, vice-president of PETA, according to The Daily Telegraph. "They happen every day, obviously, but they don’t happen in the absence of conditions that create them. Horses break down for a reason. Often, it has to do with the condition they're in at the time they're put on the track."

PETA has requested a review of the horses' official necropsy reports, the Telegraph reported. 

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The animal rights organization said that it "repeatedly reached out" to HBO before the filming began to offer safety advice but was "rebuffed," BBC reported. 

HBO worked with the American Humane Association (AHA), and said both were "committed to ensuring all necessary safety procedures" were in place, according to BBC. 

The AHA conducted a full investigation of the deaths, and reported that "the horses were checked immediately afterwards by on-site veterinarians and, in each case, a severe fracture deemed the condition inoperable. The decision was that the most humane course of action was euthanasia," the Telegraph reported.