Protecting Hollywood’s Animals
Robin spends the day at the movies by discussing the importance of protecting Hollywood’s favorite animal stars from harm when on set. First, the National Director of the “No Animals Were Harmed” program, Dr. Kwane Stewart, drops by to talk about his program’s nearly 75-year legacy of ensuring the welfare of hundreds of thousands of animal actors. Then, Beth Langhorst, a Certified Animal Safety Representative with “No Animals Were Harmed,” joins the show to talk about what it’s like to monitor the animals on the set of blockbuster movies like “Avatar” and “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
BIO:
Kwane Stewart, DVM
Renowned veterinarian, Dr. Kwane Stewart joins American Humane Association as Chief Medical Officer and senior leader for Humane Hollywood, and our flagship program No Animals Were Harmed®. He brings visionary leadership, impressive medical credentials and extensive animal welfare experience to his role which will provide American Humane Association and over 2,000 productions annually with exemplary medical expertise and expert guidance.
A graduate of Colorado State University, a prominent veterinary school where he earned his Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine in 1997, Dr. Stewart has been a practicing veterinarian for 15 years. At the age of 26 he moved to San Diego to begin his career in small animal medicine with an emphasis on emergency care. After perfecting his skills as an associate in several areas in Southern California, he was promoted to Chief Medical Officer for Vetco Hospitals Inc. He spent five successful years with Vetco where he provided oversight and leadership for over 40 vaccination clinics and six hospitals. In addition, he assisted in restructuring the company, handling negotiations and training personnel.
After five successful years with the company his career took an unexpected turn. While visiting an animal shelter in Northern California in 2007 he learned they had been without a vet for nearly three years. He knew that he would be able to bring his indomitable compassion, professional proficiency and expert qualifications to the job and was quickly appointed County Veterinarian for Stanislaus County in Modesto, California.
For the past five years, Dr. Stewart has overseen the care of thousands of animals in an area suffering from massive pet overpopulation, and thanks to his leadership numerous reforms and programs have been implemented resulting in substantial improvement in animal care. Passionate about the human-animal bond and improving the lives of animals, Dr. Kwane Stewart brings expert medical leadership to American Humane Association and the No Animals Were Harmed® program.
Beth Langhorst
Beth Langhorst has been a Certified Animal Safety Representative with American Humane Association’s “No Animals Were Harmed”® Program for nearly 15 years. Her role has taken her around the country and around the world to monitor the safety of animal actors on sets of blockbuster movies like “Avatar,” “The Hangover,” “The Dark Knight,” the “Pirates of the Caribbean” series, “Argo,” and many, many more.