Hayden Panettiere's final campaign for an animal rights organisation, filmed just weeks before her death, has been released in her memory. The one-minute video, published by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) on Tuesday (August 18), shows the actress advocating against keeping dolphins in captivity.
A Tragic Loss
The American actress, known for roles in TV shows Nashville and Heroes, died aged 36 at her home in Greenville, South Carolina, on Sunday (August 16). Her passing was announced on Monday (August 17) by her representatives, before her father, Skip, issued a statement.
He described her as “an incredible light and a force of nature who brought immeasurable love and joy to all who knew her – and to the millions who watched her onscreen.” He also asked that her family be given privacy as they “take time to process this unimaginable loss”.
A Final Act of Kindness
Peta described the video as “a poignant final chapter in Panettiere’s fierce advocacy for marine mammals” and said it is one of her “last acts of kindness”. In the video, she appeals to the camera while wearing a Peta T-shirt, saying: “Imagine spending your entire life in a bathtub. That’s what it’s like for dolphins and whales in tiny tanks at marine amusement parks.”
Clips of Panettiere in a bathtub and of animals such as dolphins in captivity are spliced throughout the video as she says: “We can end this, you and me. In their ocean homes, dolphins swim up to 60 miles a day, free to be with family and other pod members. They can dive deep, escape the hot sun, and enjoy the rain on their back. All of that is taken from them when they’re confined to small tanks. Can you imagine their frustration, their trauma, their depression? All that’s important and crucial for their well-being is ripped away.”
A Lifelong Advocate
Panettiere also describes the conditions faced by the marine mammals in cramped enclosures, adding: “Vow today to never go to a marine park that keeps dolphins in extreme captivity. Together, we can end this cruelty.” Peta then urged viewers to “honour her memory by doing as she asked” to support animals in captivity.
Panettiere dedicated her life to advocating for many causes, particularly animal rights. She protested alongside surfers and activists in Taiji in Japan in 2007 in an attempt to disrupt the annual dolphin hunt. Footage of the star at the protest was used in The Cove, which won the Academy Award for best documentary film in 2010. Panettiere returned to Taiji in 2010 and also backed charities such as The Whaleman Foundation, the African Wildlife Foundation and K9 Connection.
