Joel McHale’s ‘Animal Control’ Under Fire For Animal Abuse

The new live-action comedy Animal Control and its executive producer and star Joel McHale are not sitting well with members of the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).

A February 17 statement condemned the show for use of live exotic animals and animal abuse after its first episode, featuring ostriches, dogs and a ferret, which aired Thursday.

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This isn’t the first time that Animal Control has drawn scrutiny. PETA blasted them previously for having a cougar in their Super Bowl commercial after the enactment of the Big Cat Public Safety Act, claiming that they have turned to computer-generated imagery or human talent as “forward-thinking advertisers” would do.

“Animal Control is a sickening soup of animal exploitation that has PETA questioning whether Joel McHale’s been living under a rock,” Debbie Meltzer, the director of captive animal welfare at PETA, wrote. “He either doesn’t know or doesn’t care that it’s 2023 and that CGI, VFX, and other humane forms of technology should be used, instead of dragging abused animals onto TV and film sets.”

A bear will reportedly make an appearance in the forthcoming episode. At its essence, the single-camera series, produced under Fox Entertainment, follows a group of animal control workers as they tackle insane, imagined scenarios involving animals.