All to often while watching a show or movie these days there are gratuitous scenes of animal cruelty and violence.  For someone who cares deeply about the wellbeing of the animals around them, these violent on-screen images can mentally linger for weeks.  

We have a rating system put in place by the Motion Picture Association (MPA) to safeguard the viewing of many other suggestable topics such as violence, rape, drug abuse whereas the viewer is informed and consents to the content they are about to watch.  Animal cruelty should be among those warnings.  

To be clear, this petition is not to ban the portrayal of animal cruelty in films.  This petition is asking for a warning label to be displayed prior to a film that depicts animal violence/cruelty.  An audience should be able to consent before being subjected to this type of content.

Why doesn't the blanket 'V' for Violence cover animal violence?  How someone will feel about the depiction of violence against people and violence against animals is subjective. In my opinion, there is an innocence with animals as with children.  Violence against children has rarely been touched by Hollywood because of this sentiment. But for many, violence against animals is just as painful to watch.

I could always go to the theater and watch an action film knowing that there will be gun violence, etc. but if that same film had a warning of 'animal cruelty' displayed in the film, I would not have bought the ticket. I and others like me would not support those films that depict such vulgar behavior and we should be able to voice our disdain against this type of display with lower box office sales.

(Image used is property of: https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/31277/who-ensures-no-animals-were-harmed-making-film