Video that emerged Wednesday of a German shepherd dog named Hercules was quickly called into question by some viewers.
Celebrity gossip site TMZ obtained video from the set of the upcoming film "A Dog's Purpose," that some viewers may find disturbing. It shows Hercules struggling with a person who appears to be a trainer trying to get the dog to jump into a pool of water that appears to be rigged to simulate rushing ocean waves.
Some are claiming the dog may not have been treated humanely.
The Huffington Post reported that the final scene in the movie shows the shepherd rescuing a person from the waters. The scene was shot in Winnipeg, Canada, in November 2015.
Hercules can be seen resisting going into the water, while the trainer appears to try to ease him into the water by picking up the dog and dipping one of his back paws into the water. Eventually, the dog goes into the water with the nudging of the trainer and is submerged in the water before being pulled back out.
Another clip shows the dog in the water. He appears to go under the water as handlers rush to swim toward him and "Cut it!" can audibly be heard in the clip.
When TMZ first posted and reported about the video, Amblin Partners and Universal Pictures, the companies that created the film, said they would investigate the matter.
Hours later, producers of the film from Amblin reportedly told TMZ the dog had "several days of rehearsal of the water scenes to ensure (he) was comfortable with all of the stunts."
"On the day of the shoot, Hercules did not want to perform the stunt portrayed on the tape so the Amblin production team did not proceed with filming that shot."
The American Humane Association told the celebrity gossip site that a representative from the organization who was on set had been suspended after officials saw the video.
"We are placing the safety representative who was on the set on administrative leave immediately and are bringing in an independent third party to conduct an investigation into this matter," the organization told TMZ.
The AHA oversees safety guidelines for animal actors on movie sets, ensuring that no animals are harmed in the process of filming.
About the Author
