“Dog Whisperer” star Cesar Millan is being investigated following an accusation of animal cruelty, TheWrap has learned.
The host, who currently has a show on the Nat Geo WILD Channel titled “Cesar 911,” had a complaint made against his Santa Clarita, California, dog psychology center on Thursday.
“There was a complaint that we received and we are investigating the matter,” Deputy Director Danny Ubario of L.A. County Animal Control told TheWrap.
“An officer visited the center today and it is currently under investigation,” he added.
The complaint was made by a single citizen but no further details could be released as it is an active case, Ubario explained.
A TMZ report claimed that the incident involved a dog attacking and injuring a pig during a training session.
Millan is a self-taught dog behaviorist who quickly rose to fame with his series “Dog Whisperer With Cesar Millan,” which was broadcast in more than 80 countries worldwide from 2004 to 2012.
“Cesar 911” premiered on the Nat Geo WILD Channel in 2014.
A Nat Geo WILD spokesperson issued this 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.
“We have included an additional clip from the same episode [click here to download] to provide missing context. 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. As the additional clip reveals, 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.”