The news heard around the world on Friday was that boy band One Direction just released a new video for their song “Steal My Girl.” While millions of young girls everywhere are going crazy for it, PETA isn’t too happy.
According to E! News Online, the animal rights organization wrote an open letter to the band stating it was concerned about the wellbeing of the chimpanzee, lion and other animals that were used in the video. “The use of wild animals in this way is a damaging and destructive practice that is condemned by zoologists, animal welfare scientists and conservationists worldwide,” the letter reads. ” Such concerns go far beyond the treatment of the animals on-set: the use of wild animals as actors is in many cases highly detrimental to welfare of the individuals involved in ways that can manifest throughout their lifetimes; while studies show that the use of wild animals as actors may even have a negative impact on the survival of animal populations in the wild, by increasing demand for that species as pets and/or by diminishing concern for their conservation in the wild.”
At the end of the letter, PETA urged One Direction to take the video down.
Of course, that didn’t happen. The production company that they worked with, Fulwell 73, told E! News that no animals were harmed during the making of “Steal My Girl.” “We have the upmost respect for organizations such as PETA and Wild Futures, who we support greatly for their passion and incredible dedication,” Fulwell 73 said. “We vetted Steve Martin closely and chose him based on his exemplary treatment of animals, his highly regarded ‘reward based’ training, and his history in contributing to animal conservation educational programs.”
Steve Martin’s Working Wildlife is a company known for training animals to be used in movies, television, and apparently music videos. PETA has claimed that the company “has a history of violating the very minimal standards of the federal Animal Welfare Act (AWA), including by locking apes in small and barren cages for up to 18 hours a day, failing to provide animals with adequate shelter from the elements, and denying animals adequate space, clean cages, and proper feeding.”
The animals in the video are definitely amazing creatures, and we totally standby PETA, however, we’re not sure if we should be blaming One Direction. Perhaps the guys in the band need to be educated on animals rights. Head over to E! New for more information. Read the full letter right here.
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://fourleggedguru.com/one-direction-steal-my-girl/&media=https://fourleggedguru.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/peta-one-direction-steal-my-girl-video.jpg&description=Animal activist group PETA is taking a stand against One Direction's new "Steal My Girl" video. Do you think these animals were harmed during filming?){kind=link}