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Cesar Millan Defended By National Geographic As ‘Dog Whisperer’ Is Investigated For Animal Cruelty [Video]

By Maat van Uitert
Published on: 01:21 PST, Mar 11, 2016

After renown “dog whisperer” Cesar Millan came under police investigation for animal cruelty this week, National Geographic, which airs Millan’s television show, issued a statement defending Cesar from his critics. The incident, which has sparked the ire of animal welfare activists worldwide, was caught on film. In the video, viewers can see Cesar trying to help a dog that is fearful of pigs, and before Millan could control the canine, a bulldog/terrier mix named Simon bit a pig on the ear, causing the animal to bleed.

You can see the clip below.

In response to the harsh criticism of Cesar Millan that the video caused, National Geographic released a statement regarding the incident, as well as extra clips to give the episode “context.” The network acknowledges that the clip of the canine attacking the pig “caused some concern for viewers who did not see or understand the full context of the encounter,” and National Geographic wants to clear the air.

In addition to his television show, Cesar 911, Millan, who is also known by his nickname the Dog Whisperer, has several New York Times bestselling books to his credit and has a large international following of canine owners.

According to the statement issued by National Geographic, “Cesar Millan has dedicated his life to helping dogs and to showing how even the most difficult ‘problem dog’ can be rescued and rehabilitated.”

However, according to the network, viewers are seeing the incident without “context,” which is causing more concern than necessary. When it released the additional clips, National Geographic advised concerned dog lovers that the network wanted to “provide missing context” and assure everyone the injured pig was fine and immediately helped.

In its statement, the network confirmed that “Cesar [Millan] has created a safe and controlled environment at his Dog Psychology Center (DPC) in California,” where he is able to “rehabilitate some of the most extreme — or ‘red zone’ — cases of dog aggression, such as Simon’s.” The network also pointed out that the Dog Whisperer “took precautions, such as putting Simon on a long lead to assess his behavior,” before Cesar began making his “initial corrections and removing the leash.”

National Geographic also assured viewers that the pig that Simon nipped was “tended to immediately afterward, healed quickly and showed no lasting signs of distress.” In fact, the newly-released video clip shows that “Cesar and his animal pack effectively helped Simon to overcome his aggressive behavior toward other animals.”

The network concluded that because of Cesar Millan, “Simon did not have to be separated from his owner or euthanized.”

Some viewers are not buying it, however, and flooded local animal control authorities with tips that the pot-bellied pig was being abused. Some viewers have even started an online petition asking the network to remove Cesar Millan and Cesar 911 from the air. Professional dog trainer Laura Nativo began an online petition to cancel Cesar 911, and so far, about 8,000 people have signed it.

About the clip, Nativo said that “[i]t was really difficult to watch,” adding that Cesar Millan and his methods are “not the way to rehabilitate an animal that is fearful and aggressive to pigs.”

In response to a complaint, Los Angeles police officers issued a 24-hour notice, which requires Cesar Millan to contact investigators. According to NBC4 Los Angeles, local authorities with the Los Angeles County Animal Control attempted to contact Millan at his Dog Psychology Center in Santa Clarita, California, but the Dog Whisperer was unavailable. According to a family member, Cesar Millan is out of town on a business trip.

Authorities want to know where the pig is and whether it is being cared for.

What do you think? Should Cesar Millan be under investigation for animal cruelty? Leave a comment below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rloB_3YZ6I4

[Photo by Rebecca Sapp/Getty Images]

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