RantCrush Top 5: January 20, 2017

A movie called “A Dog’s Purpose” sounds like it’s all about love for animals, but recent footage that surfaced from the set shows that some dog trainers seemed to have let their desire for the perfect shot go a little too far. In a leaked video segment, a German Shepherd is seen refusing to jump into a deep pool of rapidly gushing water, made to look like a river. The dog is clearly scared and claws to hold onto the edge of the pool, as the trainer tries his best to push the dog in. Now PETA is calling for a boycott of the film, “to send the message that dogs and other animals should be treated humanely, not as movie props.”

Yeah, no one go see A Dog’s Purpose… Video from on set of them forcing the dog into the water for the flooded river shot (seen in preview) pic.twitter.com/6abCL2BnSP

— DEFCON 2.5 (@thames_2121) January 19, 2017

The movie company claims that they followed all rules and protocols. Actor Josh Gad, who voices one of the dogs in the movie, as well as director Lasse Hallström and producer Gavin Polone, have all released statements saying they are appalled by the footage and had safeguards in place specifically to avoid this kind of behavior. An investigation is underway, and all dogs are reportedly now safe, but the movie’s Saturday premiere has been canceled.

Anneliese Mahoney

Anneliese Mahoney is Managing Editor at Law Street and a Connecticut transplant to Washington D.C. She has a Bachelor’s degree in International Affairs from the George Washington University, and a passion for law, politics, and social issues. Contact Anneliese at amahoney@LawStreetMedia.com.