Animal Mistreatment on the Set?

Oscar-winning director Peter Jackson and the producers of The Hobbit films have rejected allegations that animals died on set due to mistreatment.

Animal rights group Peta has claimed that up to 27 animals, including horses, sheep, goats and chickens, died during filming in New Zealand.

read more:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-20406456

thoughts?

I guess I'd want to see PETAs evidence...

It seems fairly unlikely (bearing in mind the number of horses and their owners involved in LOTR), that if Jackson etal.s the filming was negligent in anyway they would continue to have the Kiwis who provide the animals support them.

"Died during filming" is also a little vague, are the claiming mistreatment? We know lots of animals were involved, and animals have mortality rates like everything else...?

From the article it sounds like some level of mistreatment or at least carelessness by outsourced wranglers, in which case, hopefully those people, and the people who should have been monitoring those people, will be appropriately dealt with.

when reading this i was really confused. i have always supported PETA in their actions but i have heard sometimes they were crossing the line. to be honest i don't think it's animal mistreatment. i highly doubt it that the crew would mistreat any animals especially when the whole world was interested in what they're doing. besides, these deaths might as well be coincidences

i heard there were some fired wranglers, they could have as well lied to PETA about it as an act of revenge

I would presume that if PETA had any hard evidence they would take it to the authorities, so if they haven't then I guess they are only going on what people have told them?

I don't know. I really hope that everything possible was done to ensure the animals were looked after.

me too. i mean, it's a serious business. everything must have been covered perfectly