Found Nemo. Finding Dory. Saving Tilikum.

To avoid supporting the cruelty of zoos and aquariums and the conditions that animals confined to those facilities are forced to endure, compassionate parents and children can seek other venues in order to gain insight into the animal kingdom. One of the best ways that this can be done is by going to the movies, as many excellent movies are being made to educate and entertain the masses about the natural habitats and behavior of different species. One film that captivated audiences around the world was Finding Nemo, a tale of a missing fish who is trapped by humans and a father who swims the ocean in an effort to get his son back.

The sequel to this award-winning film is set to be released in 2016. Finding Dory will reportedly follow the story of Dory, everyone’s favorite swimming buddy, as she attempts to reconnect with her family. Although Pixar is remaining silent about the script and details of the film, one important fact has been brought to light: Pixar is redoing the ending of the film as a response to another phenomenal film, Blackfish.

Blackfish is a documentary that exposes the deplorable conditions that captive orcas endure at SeaWorld and similar facilities around the world. After seeing the responses to the documentary, Pixar officials decided not to risk having Finding Dory get caught up in the controversy surrounding marine parks. The ending of Finding Dory was apparently set to take place in a marine park. Initially, the animals would have been forced to stay. However, the new ending will apparently have the animals in an aquatic center that they will be allowed to leave whenever they please.

Although we won’t know the precise details until the film is released, it is always encouraging to see companies taking the initiative to put animals first.

Post written by PETA Asia intern Victoria Wall