Cesar Millan, 'Dog Whisperer,' Investigated For Animal Cruelty

Cesar Millan, the animal psychologist famously known as the "Dog Whisperer," is under investigation for an animal cruelty complaint authorities received after a recent episode of his TV show, "Cesar 911," on National Geographic, authorities confirmed to Patch.

In the show, Millan was rehabilitating an aggressive french bulldog named Simon, which had recently attacked some pet pigs, at his "Dog Psychology Center." When Millan brought new pigs to a "training session" with Simon, the dog attacked one of the pigs, biting its ear and drawing blood.

A Change.org petition claims that Simon was a "known pig killer" and had more than 9,000 signatures Friday morning.

Investigators visited Millan's center in Santa Clarita, California, on Thursday evening, but Millan was not there, so they spoke with his son instead, according to Aaron Reyes, deputy director of the County of Los Angeles Department of Animal Care and Control.

The department posted a 24-hour notice for Millan to contact authorities, and a couple hours later an investigator heard from a "key staff member" of Millan's show, Reyes told Patch. The staff member said Millan was aware of the investigation and will fully cooperate with it, Reyes said.

Investigators want to know how badly pig was harmed, why Millan chose that method of rehabilitation and anything different he could have done, Reyes said, adding that at this point, all they've seen is the video.

"You’re looking at the key piece of evidence we’re looking at," Reyes said.

National Geographic did not immediately return requests from Patch for comment but in a statement to multiple media outlets, National Geographic said the clip only showed Simon, "chasing a pig and nipping its ear, causing the ear to bleed."

The statement continued: "It is important to clarify that Cesar took precautions, such as putting Simon on a long leash 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."

Millan rose to fame for his TV show "Dog Whisperer with Cesar Millan," which aired on National Geographic from 2002 through 2012. In the show, Millan worked with troubled dogs and rehabilitated them to be healthy and behaved.

"Cesar 911," a show with a similar premise, began airing in March 2014.

Following the controversy surrounding the dog-bites-pig incident, National Geographic released an extended clip to media, showing the troubled dog coming full circle.

In the clip, Simon is brought back into a pen with more pigs, and Millan works his magic on the dog. Eventually, Millan ties a leash from one of the pigs to Simon, and has the pig take Simon for "a walk" around the pen.

The two animals appear to be thick as thieves by the time it's all said and done.

"As the additional clip reveals, Cesar and his animal pack effectively helped Simon to overcome his aggressive behavior toward other animals," the National Geographic statement said. "As a result, Simon did not have to be separated from his owner or euthanized."

Watch the clip below:

Main image via National Geographic