Cesar Millan says a dog shown on his programme nipping a hog was being rehabilitated, as thousands demand his series be cancelled.
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| Millan, 46, found fame through his Dog Whisperer TV show in 2004 |
TV channel Nat Geo WILD has defended popular "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan, who is being investigated for animal cruelty - against a pig.
Ten thousand people have signed a change.org petition demanding his television show be cancelled.
The American Humane Society said it had received complaints about a 26 February episode of Cesar 911.
In the programme, Millan used a pig to train a dog that had previously killed two pigs.
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| Millan has sold millions of books about his canine-training techniques |
On the show, a French bulldog terrier mix called Simon was seen pursuing a pot-bellied pig and nipping its ear, drawing blood.
Later in the episode, Simon is seen mingling calmly with a group of pigs and other animals.
Nat Geo WILD said investigators from Los Angeles County Animal Control had been in touch with the dog behaviour specialist after complaints from the public.
The network, a unit of 21st Century Fox, said Millan was confident the investigation would find no wrongdoing.
Its statement added: "The pig that was nipped ... was tended to immediately afterward, healed quickly and showed no lasting signs of distress.
"As a result (of Millan's work) Simon did not have to be separated from his owner or euthanised."
The American Humane Society said in a statement: "Animal abuse is never acceptable and should never be tolerated."
Millan, 46, first found fame in 2004 through his internationally broadcast TV show Dog Whisperer.
He also has sold millions of books about his techniques training aggressive canines.
Source : Here