SOCCER DOG: EUROPEAN CUP

Upon the death of his mother, teenager Zack (Thomas) is brought to Scotland to live with his father, whom he has never met. Despite a rough period of adjustment, they discover they share a common interest: soccer. Zack befriends Kimble, a soccer-playing dog that eventually becomes a member of Zack and his dad’s soccer team.

American Humane’s role

American Humane’s Film & Television Unit monitored this film. Because Soccer Dog: European Cup is a Screen Actors Guild (SAG) production, the director/producer was required to provide American Humane’s Certified Animal Safety Representatives on-set access whenever animals were used. During pre-production of the film, American Humane’s Film and TV Unit received a copy of the script and the daily call sheets. American Humane’s Animal Safety Representatives carefully reviewed the scripts to determine whether any scenes or situations appeared to put animals at risk. Animal Safety Representatives then were on-set to ensure animals remained safe throughout production.

This film met the Guidelines established by American Humane, received the Monitored-Acceptable rating, and was awarded the “No Animals Were Harmed”™  End Credit Disclaimer.

Featured animal scenes
Two mixed breed dogs -- Chip and Kelly -- were on call for the part of Kimble. Chip performed most of the action, but Kelly went through all the prep work in case she had to step in. Most “reaction” shots of the dog covering its eyes, tilting its head, or looking in a certain direction were filmed separately and inserted into the film during post production.

In the beginning of the film, Kimble manages to escape from Fotte Labratories by jumping up to a panel and entering a code that opens the exterior gate. This action was achieved through a series of shots as the trainer cued the dog to sit, stay, or jump.

Porta-potty
In one scene, Kimble gets trapped in a “Porta-Potty” that a truck tries to tow away. A camera on a crane filmed through the toilet’s open roof as unseen crew members outside gently shook the Porta-Potty to give the impression that Kimble was slipping and sliding. The trainer, who also stood on the crane, verbally cued the dog’s movements.

Soccer skills
Although both Chip and Kelly liked to push the ball around, a lot of the soccer play was done through computer-generated imagery. Actors on the field were well aware of the dogs’ presence and their athletic moves were tightly choreographed and rehearsed. Most of the dogs’ actions were actually filmed near the sidelines; trainers cued the dogs to jump and run up or down the field to awaiting handlers. The soccer ball was edited in during post production.

Rommel
One scene features a second dog that is brought to hunt down Kimble. This dog Rommel runs up to the porch just as Bryan opens the front door, causing the dog to slam into it and collapse. This sequence was filmed in separate shots. First, a trainer cued the dog to run directly toward the camera. As Rommel ran to his mark, a crew member closed the door in front of the dog. Then, the trainer placed Rommel on his side, giving the illusion that he was knocked down by the door.

Additional animals
A herd of sheep is occasionally seen in background shots, and one of the trainers doubled as the shepherd for these scenes. A border collie named Moss was also on hand to help keep the sheep in line.

Two scenes take place in a laboratory, and animals – including fish – appear in cages in the background. All the animals were provided and maintained by trainers.