Celebrity dog behaviorist Cesar Millan, known as The Dog Whisperer, is under investigation on allegations of animal cruelty.
Last night, Los Angeles County Animal Control officers and Santa Clarita Sheriff’s deputies responded to Millan’s training facility and pet sanctuary, The Dog Psychology Center, after receiving complaints online.
The complaint stems from a February 26 airing of Millan’s Nat Geo Wild show Cesar 911. During the episode “Simon Strikes Again” Millan was working with an aggressive French bulldog/terrier mix named Simon. In the introduction it’s revealed that the dog had killed two pigs on a previous occasion.
Simon’s owner Sandy says through tears, “I had two pigs that were approximately a year old when we got Simon. A mistake was made when we were gone all day and it was a bloodbath. One was dead and the other had to be put to sleep. Simon ripped the ear off the pig.”
Millan suggested that Sandy take Simon to The Dog Psychology Center so he can be observed and trained around other animals including pigs. Cesar explained, “He’s already killed two pigs in the past so if I can give him a new positive memory with them it will be a great foundation that will translate to better behavior.”
Cesar introduces Simon to the pigs on an extended leash first. After some acclamation, he has Sandy remove the leash. Simon is shown instantly going after one of the pigs and Cesar, along with help from an assistant, is forced to physically pull the dog away.
Millan still attempts to control Simon with technique and no leash and he attacks the pig again, biting off a chunk of its ear.
Cesar continues to try to get Simon to behave sans a leash and, yet again, he darts after the pigs. This time Simon manages to allude a diving tackle from Millan before the dog behaviorist eventually gets the dog under control.
According to a statement from the network to ET, this clip of the attack was taken and shared online out of context:
“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 by Simon was tended to immediately afterward, healed quickly and showed no lasting signs of distress.”
The image of the pig’s ear from the show is pretty graphic so we didn’t embed it. You can view it here.
Millan was not on the property at the time the authorities arrived.
The dog whisperer eventually curbed Simon’s issues. One technique he used was to have the same pig that Simon attacked walk the dog on a leash. “This way I am making Simon a follower and not an aggressor,” Millan said.
“As a result, Simon did not have to be separated from his owner or euthanized,” the statement from Nat Geo Wild added.
