Cesar Millan made a career off giving advice on animal behavior, but now the “dog whisperer” is reportedly under investigation over animal cruelty. A spokesman for the Los Angeles County of Animal Care and Control said that they went to Cesar’s training facility and pet sanctuary in Santa Clarita.
They were initially unable to find Cesar and will have to return to the premises when he also returns.
The investigation was spurred after a recent episode of Cesar 911 where Cesar was working with a dog who had previously had an issue attacking pigs. In the episode he brought in a pig to help train the dog, which the dog then attacked drawing blood.
Danny Unbario, the Deputy Director of Los Angeles County Animal Control says that they received a complaint and that the case was “active.”
Nat Geo WILD, the network that airs the show has already responded to clear things up about the footage that aired.
“Millan was working with Simon, a French bulldog/terrier mix, who frequently attacked other animals, including his owner’s pet 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. The clip caused some concern for viewers who did not see or understand the full context of the encounter. The pig that was nipped…was tended to immediately afterward, healed quickly and showed no lasting signs of distress…as a result, [the dog] did not have to be separated from his owner or euthanized.”
Cesar 911 is the second show of Cesar Millan’s after his highly successful show The Dog Whisperer which aired between 2004 and 2012.