Disney Linked to Death of Thousands of Dalmatians

Email this page to a friend

Burbank, Calif…At a press conference held Monday at Disney Studios, animal advocates demanded of Disney President Michael Eisner that the Disney Company take responsibility for its part in the fatal overpopulation of Dalmatians by sponsoring an educational campaign for 102 Dalmatians - including an on-screen advisory regarding the plight of this breed and the establishment of a Dalmatian Rescue Fund to benefit Dalmatian rescue groups throughout the country. Representatives of the groups pointed out that, following the release of Disney's 101 Dalmatians in 1996, animal shelters across the country reported a 15%-762% increase in the number of abandoned Dalmatians, thousands of whom were eventually destroyed.

"We have attempted a dialogue with Disney officials since April of this year to reach an accommodation but they have rebuffed all of our efforts. I get calls all the time from people who want to adopt a Dalmatian to appease their young children who want one because they just saw the movie, asking and knowing nothing about the breed. That is how so many of them end up in shelters," said Ann Herrington, President of Las Vegas-based Media Partners for Pets.

"It has been shown that 101 Dalmatians directly contributed to thousands of the animals put to death in our nation's shelters," said Elliot Katz, DVM, President of IDA. "I'm convinced that with enough education and awareness Disney officials will act responsibly to turn the tide of the unnecessary breeding and subsequent deaths of millions of animals in our nation's shelters. My hope is that if they don't get the message from the animal protection community, their children and their families will motivate them to act responsibly."

A PSA about the plight of dalmatians featuring animal advocate and game show host, Bob Barker, is available for download.

More information about IDA's Puppy Mills Campaign