A clip leaked by TMZ from the set of the upcoming film A Dog’s Purpose is not what we expected from a supposedly family-friendly film about animals. The footage shows a German Shepherd being forced into water, despite the fact that he is clearly fighting to stay out of it.
Forcing any animal or actor to undergo experiences they did not agree to and are clearly uncomfortable with is something that should not be happening. Yet more and more stories of mistreatment continue to surface. Warning: The footage below is disturbing.
As you can hear in the video, at least some of the cast and crew were uncomfortable with these methods and spoke up as the scene was being shot—though that didn’t stop production. Actor Josh Gad, who voices the dog in the film, was unnerved and tweeted this:
— Josh Gad (@joshgad) January 19, 2017
Apparently, director Lasse Hallström supports any and all investigation into the situation, though he was present while the scene was being filmed.
I have been promised that a thorough investigation into this situation is underway and that any wrongdoing will be reported and punished.
— lasse hallstrom (@HallstromLasse) January 19, 2017
Let’s hope we uncover what really happened and prevent any further mistreatment of animals on set.