Despite facing probe for possible animal cruelty, US television dog trainer Cesar Millan, popularly known as the "Dog Whisperer," is standing by his training methods. He said that the story was taken out of proportion.
NBC Los Angeles broke the news on Thursday that Millan is under probe for possible animal cruelty. The investigation stemmed from a February 26 episode of the Nat Geo Wild TV series, Cesar 911, wherein the self-taught dog behaviorist was seen using a pig to train a French bulldog terrier mix named Simon. The authorities visited his Dog Psychology Center in Santa Clarita, however, Millan was out of town for a business trip.
Several animal activists were enraged with the episode and have initiated a campaign for the cancelation of the show due to Millan's inhumane training methods. A change.org petition signed by more than 10,000 people has demanded Nat Geo Wild to ax the TV series for using a "pig as a bait for the dog all for 'entertainment' purposes."
But in a phone interview with People, the 46-year-old dog trainer defended his training practices. He said that while he is happy to cooperate with the investigation, he completely disagrees with his online detractors who lambasted him for using a pig as bait to set off dog.
"[The show] is about helping dogs in crisis," Millan explained. "To me that's what the real story is here, some people would like to make it bigger than what it is, they're taking this story out of proportion. If they watch the episode they can see clearly that the dog and the pig became best friends."
"Nobody is looking at the whole story," he pointed out. "They're looking at a moment that happened, which I understand - it's a sensitive subject."
Millan expressed that he is unhappy about the controversy. "I take the cases nobody wants," Cesar said. "It's ridiculous that they'd take something and turn it into this, when my main goal is purely harmony and balance."
Moreover, Nat Geo Wild backed Millan amid the animal cruelty controversy. In a statement, the channel lauded Millan for his dedication to rescue and rehabilitate even the most difficult "problem dog."
