This era produced icons like Rin Tin Tin and Lassie , but the narrative was almost always centered on human heroism. The animal was a vessel for loyalty or utility, and the "entertainment" value relied heavily on the animal performing unnatural behaviors. Behind the scenes, the ethics were often non-existent, a reality that would eventually spark the first major wave of animal welfare advocacy in media.
Content featuring exotic pets (like slow lorises or monkeys) can inadvertently fuel the illegal wildlife trade by making wild animals seem like suitable domestic companions.
Early 20th-century film often used live animals with little regard for safety; for instance, the 1925 production of
