Cesar Millan Investigated for Alleged Animal Cruelty

TV show showed a dog attacking a pig during training
By Arden Dier,  Newser Staff
Posted Mar 11, 2016 7:16 AM CST

A strange turn of events for the "Dog Whisperer": Police say they're investigating Cesar Millan for alleged animal cruelty after Millan's Nat Geo Wild show Cesar 911 featured a dog attacking a pig during a training exercise. "There was a complaint that we received and we are investigating the matter," an LA County Animal Control rep tells TheWrap. TMZ reports officials visited Millan's Dog Psychology Center in Santa Clarita on Thursday night to check on the health of the pig after receiving "numerous complaints." However, Millan was out of town on a business trip at the time, reports NBC Los Angeles. Officials say Millan was then given 24 hours to get in touch with investigators. It isn't clear if he has now done so.

The episode showed a French bulldog/terrier mix named Simon, who had previously attacked its owner's potbellied pigs, biting the ear of a pig when introduced to the animal. "It was really difficult to watch," says a professional dog trainer. "It's not the way to rehabilitate an animal that is fearful and aggressive to pigs." A pair of Change.org petitions are calling for the show to be cancelled. Nat Geo Wild, however, says viewers "did not see or understand the full context of the encounter." It adds "Cesar took precautions" and the pig "was tended to immediately afterward, healed quickly, and showed no lasting signs of distress." A clip from the same episode shows Simon calmly interacting with the pig after the attack. (More Cesar Millan stories.)

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