Report: 'Dog Whisperer' Under Animal Cruelty Investigation

L.A. County Animal Control initiated the investigation after a recent episode of 'Cesar 911' received a storm of complaints.

By: Pari Heidari, 'Larry King Now'


Famous dog behaviorist, Cesar Millan, might find himself in a bit of a pickle after a recent episode of his 'Nat Geo WILD' show 'Cesar 911' prompted some angry reactions from viewers. 

The episode in question aired on February 26th and showed a dog nip a pot-bellied pig’s ear. According to the LA times, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies and animal control officers visited Millan’s Santa Clarita animal training facility yesterday, but Millan was not present and, as of now, no arrest has been made. Officials have issued a 24-hour notice, during which Millan is required to contact investigators. 

Millan himself has not commented on the issue as of yet, but Nat Geo issued a statement alongside additional footage of the training session in question.

Nat Geo WILD officials stressed Millan’s longtime dedication to dogs and eagerly pointed out that the incident was taken out of context.

"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 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."

They added that the pig "was tended to immediately afterward, healed quickly and showed no lasting signs of distress."

"Cesar Millan is and will continue to fully cooperate with authorities in any investigation," Nat Geo WILD officials told PEOPLE. "He is confident that the investigation will show there was no wrongdoing."

When Cesar appeared on 'Larry Kong Now, he shared his personal struggles, spoke about his road to becoming 'The Dog Whisperer,' and gave his best tips on dog training. See what he had to say in the video below!

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ora Media, LLC, its affiliates, or its employees.

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