‘The Hobbit’ director denies claims of animal cruelty on set

Peter Jackson, director of the blockbuster movie trilogy “Lord of the Rings,” has adamantly denied that any animals used on the set of his latest movie, “The Hobbit,” have been mistreated. “The producers completely reject the accusations that twenty seven animals died due to mistreatment during the making of the films,” said the statement released by the production team. “Extraordinary measures were taken to make sure that animals were not used during action sequences or any other sequence that might create undue stress for the animals involved.” This statement came after four New Zealand wranglers who worked on the film production said that the farm that housed more than 150 animals near the set had bluffs and sinkholes that claimed 27 horses, goats, sheep and chickens. The American Humane Society, which is responsible for overseeing the treatment of animals in films, has said that it has not seen any mistreatment of animals on the set of “The Hobbit” but that its oversight jurisdiction does not include animals kept off the set.