“Game of Thrones” star Jerome Flynn — who plays Bronn on the HBO series — has a message for viewers whose serious fandom is leading to a serious problem: stop buying huskies just because they look like direwolves.
In a new PETA campaign video released ahead of the show’s upcoming eighth and final season premiere this Sunday, Flynn urges fans to not buy huskies, or any other animal, on impulse.
“While people may have good intentions, acquiring dogs on a whim has dire consequences,” Flynn says in the video above. “Animal shelters around the world are reporting a surge in the number of abandoned huskies because the casual acquirer, drawn to the dog’s appearance, failed to take into consideration the amount of time, patience, and money required to care for these animals properly.”
In recent years, there’s been a spike in the number of huskies abandoned or impounded at shelters, which experts have attributed to an increased demand for the breed because of how much they look like the Starks’ direwolves on “Game of Thrones.”
Per PETA, since “Game of Thrones” premiered in 2011, animal rescue centers in the U.K., where much of the show is filmed, have reportedly seen a 420% increase in the number of huskies needing new homes. In the U.S., two breed-specific rescue groups in California have seen the number of animals they take in double over the last two years, while officials in Los Angeles reported that the number of huskies or husky mixes at county shelters has more than tripled since 2013.
“If you have carefully considered bringing a four-legged companion into your family, you can save a life by adopting a dog — or preferably two so they can keep each other company — from your local animal shelter,” Flynn added.
Watch the video above.