Celebrity dog behaviour specialist “Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan is under investigation for possible animal cruelty involving a pig.
Millan is under investigation as a result of an incident that occurred during the filming of a recent episode of Nat Geo WILD series Cesar 911.
According to NBC News, Los Angeles animal welfare officials were flooded with calls following the airing of the February 26 episode that featured an aggressive dog biting the ear of a pot-bellied pig, causing it to bleed.
On Friday, Nat Geo WILD issued a statement, addressing “that has caused some concern for viewers.”
Nat Geo WILD explained the “Dog Whisperer” was working with an aggressive French bulldog/terrier mix named Simon that had a history of attacking other animals including the dog’s owner’s pot-bellied pigs.
“A short clip from the episode was shared online and showed Simon chasing a pig and nipping its ear, causing the ear to bleed,” Nat Geo WILD said in the statement. “The clip caused some concern for viewers who did not see or understand the full context of the encounter.”
The television channel released additional footage from the same episode “to provide missing context.”
“Cesar has created a safe and controlled environment at his Dog Psychology Center in California in which to rehabilitate some of the most extreme—or ‘red zone’ —cases of dog aggression, such as Simon’s,” Nat Geo said. “It is important to clarify that Cesar took precautions… before making initial corrections and removing the leash.”
Nat Geo said the pig was nipped by the dog and it was attended to immediately following the bite. The animal “healed quickly and showed no lasting signs of distress.”
According to the statement, the dog was successfully rehabilitated from “his aggressive behaviour toward other animals; as a result, Simon did not have to be separated from his owner or euthanized.”