A Dog’s Life

It is gratifying and reassuring to know that animal actors have the American Humane Assn. to protect their safety and guarantee good working conditions, and it is reassuring for people to learn that scenes in which animals appear to suffer harm are, of course, just more movie trickery (“All Roles Great and Small,” by Christopher Noxon, June 18). It must be working, because in more than 20 years of on-set motion picture production work I have never seen an animal harmed.

On the other hand, I wonder who is there to guarantee the rights and working conditions of the hard-working humans on movie and TV sets? Even after the widely publicized story of assistant cameraman Brent Hershman’s death after falling asleep at the wheel driving home after working an abusively long production day, and the grass-roots effort to instigate new overtime laws (Brent’s Rule), nothing has changed. In fact, conditions have only worsened.

Where is the humane association for humans? Our union, the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, has let Brent’s Rule slip away, and is busy negotiating new contracts for us to work more hours for less and less. (Can anyone think of another union that lets its people work for 14 hours before they get double time?) Meanwhile, even at the new low rates, the work is slipping away across several borders where workers are even cheaper, if less qualified, and governments are happily subsidizing the largest media conglomerates with tax incentives and rebates.

STEVE NELSON

Goleta

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My experience with the American Humane Assn. in connection with “Project X” and “Dr. Quinn, Medicine Woman” convinced me that AHA has failed miserably in its obligation to protect animals in movies and television.

If AHA suffers feelings of guilt, perhaps the $1.4 million that it receives annually from the industry will help to soothe them.

BOB BARKER

Hollywood