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Culture > Entertainment

This Video Exposes the Disturbing Way Dogs Were Treated While Filming ‘A Dog’s Purpose’

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:

Apparently, director Lasse Hallström supports any and all investigation into the situation, though he was present while the scene was being filmed.

Let’s hope we uncover what really happened and prevent any further mistreatment of animals on set.

Katy Palmer is an LA-based creative professional. She earned a B.A. in Screenwriting from the LMU School of Film and Television. She went on to work in various production roles for shows like Top Chef, Shark Tank, The Voice, American Idol, and The Bachelor. She has cast commercials for companies like Bayer Healthcare, Fantastic Sams, Scotts MiracleGro, and WD-40. During her post-grad time in Colorado, she co-founded the Denver chapter of the Freelancers Union, a branch of the national organization to support and protect independent workers across the country. Today, she helps other creative business owners organize and strategize through 1:1 consulting services. Say hey on the socials @bykatypalmer!