American Humane's Film & Television Unit did not monitor the international production Alexander, which was filmed in England, Morocco, and Thailand. The work of American Humane's Film & TV Unit is funded by a grant from the Industry Advancement and Cooperative Fund – administered by trustees from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) – which allocates resources solely to cover SAG domestic projects working under the SAG/Producers codified agreement.

Productions filming abroad do have the option of contracting for American Humane's monitoring services. However, this provision does not guarantee that the film will receive American Humane's End Credit Disclaimer, since the Disclaimer is awarded exclusively on the basis of the animal treatment during production. The filmmakers of Alexander did not request American Humane's services, and since American Humane was not present to witness the extensive animal action firsthand, we have rated the film "Not Monitored."

The Film & Television Unit contacted the producers in the early stages of production to stress the importance of our presence on the set for the safety of the animal and human actors. American Humane did not receive a response. At a later date, the production contacted American Humane requesting the "No Animals Were Harmed"™ Disclaimer for the film. American Humane notified production that the Disclaimer can be awarded only to films that meet the standards set forth by American Humane's Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media and on which Certified Animal Safety Representatives are present to document the treatment of animals and verify that the standards are indeed met. Since this was not the case, American Humane denied the End Credit.

In November 2004, Intermedia, the producing company, notified American Humane that documents regarding the treatment of the animals would be submitted for review and that the producers used their own language at the end of the film to assure the public that animals were not harmed.

Their language is an unofficial end credit that is not endorsed by American Humane. American Humane has consulted its legal counsel regarding this unacceptable and inaccurate verbiage and is notifying the producing company to cease and desist the use of the film's misleading end credit.

How to make sure American Humane is there

The drastic increase in runaway productions makes American Humane's job as the industry watchdog of humane animal treatment on the set all the more daunting. Unfortunately, the accepted standards of care vary greatly outside of the United States, and American Humane faces a constant struggle with U.S. filmmakers unwilling to make our on-set monitoring and stringent Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media a top priority on their productions.

You can help make sure the American Humane Association is there to monitor animal action in future films both in the United States and abroad by:

1) Registering on our website and indicating your interest in "No Animals Were Harmed." ™ The more people who register, the stronger American Humane's impact will be on actors, producers, and film distributors.

2) Choosing to spend your money on films that express a commitment to the humane treatment of animal actors. Before buying tickets, look for the review of the animal action and make sure the film's producers have taken the right steps to ensure animal safety and well-being.

3) Letting your voice be heard. At the movies, stay through the end credits to be sure the film received the official and accurate "No Animals Were Harmed" Disclaimer. If you do not see it, e-mail your concerns to American Humane at info@americanhumane.org.