As though HBO’s Luck weren’t tinged with enough sadness and regret, the show recently came under fire by PETA after two horses broke their legs during filming and had to be put down. Their deaths were reported in two press releases issued near-simultaneously from PETA and the American Humane Association—the former blasting David Milch and Co. for ignoring the safety protocols PETA had suggested, and the latter detailing how an on-site Humane Association representative was present for the injuries and subsequent euthanizations, which led the group to pull its standard “No animals were harmed” from the pilot and seventh episode. (And no, the horse seen being put down in the pilot was not one of the animals in question.)
HBO has since issued a statement assuring that, in the wake of these accidents, the show has worked with both the Humane Association and other racing industry experts to develop newer, stricter guidelines to ensure the horses’ well-being, including hiring additional veterinarians, performing radiography exams on the legs of all horses, and asking Nick Nolte not to breathe on them. Okay, that last one is just a joke to lighten the mood, because yeesh, what a sad story. [via New York Observer]