Hachi Spirit Blog

“Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” Behind the Scenes: In the scene, Parker’s wife, Cate (Joan Allen), reminds the family that the dog is only a temporary guest. In real life, Joan is as classy and feminine as one can be. Few people know that Richard is an accomplished pianist, so it was natural that they decided […]

Washington, D.C., Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Ichiro Fujisaki and his wife, Yoriko, hosted a screening of Hachi: A Dog’s Tale. The event was held at the Smithsonian’s Freer Gallery in collaboration with the Japan Information and Culture Center and the Japan Commerce Association of Washington, DC. Prior to the screening, a reception was held […]

CNN’s Richard Quest visits the “Hachi: A Dog’s Tale” set to see how animal stars are treated. In order to learn about animal actors in film and the “No Animals Were Harmed®” end credit disclaimer, Richard Quest of CNN went behind the scenes of Hachi: A Dog’s Tale. To ensure everyone knows just how special […]

There’s an old saying actors have, “Never work with babies or animals.” Thankfully, in our case we had incredible animal trainers behind the scenes, ensuring that the dogs were taken care of- and the actors too.

Boone’s Animals For Hollywood has been training animals all over the world for over thirty years. Their reputation with producers and animal groups is sterling, as is their uncanny ability to connect with each dog. An incredible sight to see, Boone always placed his concern for the dog’s well being over everything and anybody else, working closely with the American Humane Association to ensure proper treatment always.

We felt that as the original Hachiko was a Japanese Akita, this breed needed to be portrayed in order to honor him and his story. But there was a bit of worry at first. Akitas are known to be very independent, strong thinking, and even our seasoned animal trainers had never worked with the breed before. It all turned out perfectly however, and both human and canine actors bonded beautifully.

The Hachi character goes through a wide range of emotions through an entire lifetime. To play Hachi as a puppy, we used the smaller Japanese breed, the Shiba Inu.

The need for multiple adult dogs stemmed from the long working hours and the need to have different personalities in various scenes. Chico and Layla, are brother and sister, and were two years old during the production. They played the young adult Hachi. Forrest, the older four year old Akita, played the aged Hachi. Each time he’d find a new cast member, I’d drive up to the training ranch to meet them.

It was truly amazing to watch how professional those Akitas were. They performed like seasoned pros, and delivered exactly what Lasse, our director, asked of them. Lasse had in mind a specific vision, mood – and the Akitas performed – on their mark and they knew all their lines!

Having all the captivating dogs and puppies on the set fostered an unusually easy and fun loving atmosphere.

The American Humane Association ensured that our Akitas adults and Shiba puppies were comfortable and safe during the entire shoot. Animals appearing in film and television are testaments to the human-animal bond that is evident in their interaction with their trainers and with cast and crew members, and ultimately, in their effect on audiences.

They are the only organization authorized to issue the “No Animals Were Harmed” end- credit disclaimer, and they set the standard for the humane treatment of animals. They protected our animal stars from any potential harm, and it was a pleasure having them on our set.

American Humane currently monitors 70 percent of known animal actions in film and television productions. This amounts to approximately 2,000 productions annually, where they combine animal welfare and behavioral expertise to care for animal actors and protect their interests.

American Humane currently monitors 70 percent of known animal action in film and television productions. This amounts to approximately 2,000 productions annually, where they combine animal welfare and behavioral expertise to care for animal actors and protect their interests.

The American Humane Association believes that all animals should be treated humanely throughout their lives.

A very moving short Hachi cartoon was sent to me by Leslea Newman, author of “Hachiko Waits”. Even though it’s in Japanese, the emotions remain the same. Hachiko’s true story still bleeds through in this Hachi cartoon so we can all witness his true miracle again with a new perspective. Thought I’d share it with […]