Cesar Millan, a dog behaviorist best known for the Nat Geo Wild series "Dog Whisperer," has found himself at the center of an animal cruelty investigation.
Los Angeles County Animal Control officials paid Millan's Santa Clarita dog training facility a visit on Thursday after receiving numerous complaints from viewers over a recent episode of his reality show "Cesar 911."
The episode in question contained a scene (video below), which shows an aggressive dog attacking and biting off the ear of a pot-bellied pig during a training session, causing the pig to bleed profusely and squeal in pain.
The animal welfare officials dropped by the training center to check on the injured pig's well being. Although Millan was not present at the facility at the time, he has been served with a 24-hour notice to contact investigators.
A representative for Nat Geo Wild issued the following statement in the wake of the probe.
"Cesar Millan has dedicated his life to helping dogs and to showing how even the most difficult 'problem dog' can be rescued and rehabilitated. In a recent episode of the Nat Geo WILD series 'Cesar 911,' Cesar works with an aggressive French bulldog/terrier mix named Simon, who has a history of attacking other animals, including his owner's pet potbellied 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. The clip caused some concern for viewers who did not see or understand the full context of the encounter."
"We have included an additional clip (click to download) from the same episode to provide missing context. Cesar has created a safe and controlled environment at his Dog Psychology Center (DPC) in California in which to rehabilitate some of the most extreme - or 'red zone' - cases of dog aggression, such as Simon's. It is important to clarify that Cesar took precautions, such as putting Simon on a long lead to assess his behavior, before making initial corrections and removing the leash. The pig that was nipped by Simon was tended to immediately afterward, healed quickly and showed no lasting signs of distress. As the additional clip reveals, Cesar and his animal pack effectively helped Simon to overcome his aggressive behavior toward other animals; as a result, Simon did not have to be separated from his owner or euthanized."