L.A. County animal control to ‘dog whisperer’ Cesar Millan: Show us the pig

Before they wrap up a probe into allegations of animal cruelty involving “dog whisperer” Cesar Millan, Los Angeles County animal control officials want to see the pot-bellied pig that was attacked by a French bulldog mix during a TV episode.

Investigators also want the names of everyone who appeared on the Feb. 26 episode of National Geographic Wild’s “Cesar 911” show.

Then they will decide whether the canine-on-swine-related violence rises to the level of a crime, officials said Friday.

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“We know what we saw, and if you saw the entire video, then you know what we know,” said Aaron Reyes, deputy director for the County of L.A. Department of Animal Care and Control. “There’s no question that what happened happened. A dog under Cesar Millan’s control escaped and attacked another live animal, in this case a pot-bellied pig.”

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A clip from Nat Geo Wild’s “Cesar 911” shows host Cesar Millan teaching Simon, an aggressive French bulldog/terrier mix, how to get along with his owner’s pot-bellied pigs. One pig, which Simon nipped, is later shown taking the dog for a walk.

In a statement, National Geographic Wild does not dispute that the French bulldog mix, named Simon, attacked the pig during training. The dog reportedly bit the pig in the ear, drawing blood. Later in the episode, the same pig appears to be leashed to the dog on a walk around a pen in an attempt to train it to co-exist with pigs – which was a big problem for Simon.

But Reyes said context is important in investigating allegations of animal cruelty, which were lodged Thursday by an animal rights activist who saw the episode.

“The dog that was in question, that Cesar was attempting to train, broke away from him in the video, and immediately charged the pig. Now, what we’re hearing from the [complaining party] is that the biggest concern is someone had that pig, a male adult was holding one of those pigs, those rear legs, and holding the pig up, which made the pig squeal, which made the dog [go] into a frenzy. And it immediately charged at that pig. And the dog attacked,” Reyes said.

Before filing the complaint, the activist called TMZ and let it know that he was going after Millan, Reyes said. The complaint against the celebrity dog trainer was filed soon after.

“We don’t investigate people; we investigate allegations,” Reyes said.

Animal control officers and sheriff’s deputies visited Millan’s home Thursday night and spoke with his son, who is a minor, Reyes said. The son notified Millan, who was out of state. Millan is cooperating with the probe, and investigators are waiting to see the pig, as well as to talk to other people.

There’s no history of animal cruelty complaints tied to the property where the February bite took place – a 45-acre dog-training ranch in Santa Clarita, Reyes said.

In a statement released to the media, National Geographic Wild, explained what it said happened in the episode:

“Millan was working with Simon, a French bulldog/terrier mix, who frequently attacked other animals, including his owner’s pet pot-bellied pigs. A short clip from the episode was shared online and showed Simon chasing a pig and nipping its ear, causing the ear to bleed. The clip caused some concern for viewers who did not see or understand the full context of the encounter. The pig that was nipped by Simon was tended to immediately afterward, healed quickly and showed no lasting signs of distress.”

The dog ultimately did not have to be euthanized or separated from his owner, according to the statement.

Last year, Millan was sued by a woman who claims she was attacked by a pit bull that had been prematurely released by the training center.

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

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