The Hollywood Reporter has a shocking expose of the American Humane Association, the organization that certifies the humane treatment of animals on film shoots and awards the “No animals were harmed…” certification.

It’s a long read, but an essential one for anyone who cares about animal rights. The basic headline is that the AHA has often underplayed or covered up incidents in which animals were harmed, abused, or even killed, pandering in particular to high-profile filmmakers.

Among the more shocking revelations:

• A Bengal tiger was nearly drowned on the set of Life of Pi
• 27 animals died on The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
• A Husky dog was repeatedly punched in the diaphragm by a trainer on Eight Below
• A horse died during shooting of Stephen Spielberg’s War Horse
• Several horses died in Paul Thomas Anderson’s There Will Be Blood
• Many fish and squid were killed by underwater explosions in Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

The above incidents were downplayed or covered up by the AHA, and some of the films received the notice that no animals were harmed.

The Stake usually focuses its coverage on issues of representation, diversity, prejudice—human issues. Yet after this report, I predict a surge of interest and concern about issues related to the ethical treatment of animals in the film industry.

Any film or television shoot that involves animals will introduce the risk that animals will be harmed. Humans are frequently injured on film sets as well. Yet animals cannot willingly accept the safety risks inherent in a film production, as humans can. Animals are, by their nature, voiceless, and at our mercy: at the mercy of filmmakers, of trainers and handlers, ultimately at the mercy of audiences who view films in which animals have no choice but to participate. Some of them have paid the ultimate price so that we can be entertained.