‘Dog Whisperer’ Cesar Millan Under Investigation for Animal Cruelty

Cesar Millan, the “Dog Whisperer,” is under investigation for possible animal cruelty after a complaint was called into the Los Angeles County Animal Control.

According to TMZ, an “anonymous citizen” called in on Thursday about Millan’s Santa Clarita dog psychology center. The complaint was in regards to an incident that happened on Cesar’s National Geographic WILD series, Cesar 911, where dogs were shown “attacking and injuring a pig during a training session.”

“There was a complaint that we received and we are investigating the matter,” Deputy Director Danny Barrio of L.A. County Animal Control shared with The Wrap. “An officer visited the center today and it is currently under investigation,”

Officials are trying to question Millan about the state of the pig and its current location, TMZ reported. Investigators are also questioning Millan’s employees.

Millan has not publicly spoken about the accusation, yet a spokesperson from National Geographic WILD spoke out in a statement:

“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.

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… 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.”

Millan is a self-taught dog behaviorist whose quick rise to fame was due to his series, Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan.