“Dog Whisperer” Cesar Millan is under investigation for possible animal cruelty, according to Entertainment Tonight.
On Thursday evening, Los Angeles County Animal Control officers and Santa Clarita Sheriff’s deputies responded to the celebrity dog behaviorist’s pet sanctuary and training facility, after receiving an online complaint regarding animal cruelty.
Upon their arrival to the property, authorities were unable to locate Millan.
Cesar Millan (Photo by Jason Kempin/Getty Images)
According to Entertainment Tonight, the complaint is stemming from a Feb. 26 episode of Millan’s series “Cesar 911,” where an aggressive dog was seen biting on the ear of a pot-bellied pig during a behavior training session.
A rep for Nat Geo Wild released a statement to ET on Thursday defending Millan and clarifying the circumstances surrounding the incident in question.
“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 rep said in the statement. “The clip caused some concern for viewers who did not see or understand the full context of the encounter.”
According to Nat Geo Wild, the situation was carefully monitored and controlled by Millan, who “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,” the statement continued.
Millan was able to successfully curb Simon’s behavioral issues and help the dog overcome his aggression.
“As a result, Simon did not have to be separated from his owner or euthanized,” the statement said.
