Since 1940 American Humane has been the source of the familiar disclaimer “No Animals Were Harmed” which appears during the credits at the end of movies and television shows. This year the organization recognized eight films, including three Oscar Nominees, with "Pawscars" – an unofficial, animal-centric spin on the Oscars.

Avatar receives a “Pawscar” from American Humane in the category of Best Alien Animals for using motion-capture technology to create the Direhorses aka Pa’li.  The movement of the computer generated images were based on real horses that were filmed in a special studio and then recorded as computer animation data.  Workers on the set were careful to remove all adhesives and markings used in the live-action filming at the end of each day.

A Neopolitan mastiff named Uno earns Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince the award for Best Newcomer Actor. Trainers on the set patiently worked with Uno, who was allegedly abused by a previous owner.

Best Cameo goes to Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Director Michael Bay cast his own bull mastiff to play the role of Mikaela’s (Megan Fox) dog. The pup was even invited to a special pre-release screening of the film.

American Humane also acknowledged the following films that were not up for Academy Awards Most Erotic Exotic: The Hangover, Biggest Diva: Did You Hear About The Morgans?, Best Action Scene: The Proposal, Best Animal Gore: Drag Me To Hell, Best Chase Scene: Hotel For Dogs.

Founded in 1877, nonprofit American Humane is the only national organization dedicated to protecting both children and animals.  American Humane’s Certified Animal Safety Representatives monitor the use of animals on more than 1,000 productions annually.

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