In the footage, the German Shepherd, which is one of four used to make the movie, can be seen fighting against the trainer for a scene. The scene is meant for the dog to swim in rushing waters. Huge motors were used to create the effect of the torrent.
A representative from the American Humane was watching the filming. However, they have been suspended because they didn’t intervene when the dog was refusing to go in the water.
The video was obtained by TMZ, and the scene was shot in a pool in the Winnipeg, Canada, area. It was shot back in November 2015, and the trainer can be seen forcible pushing the dog into the water. The dog repeatedly claws at the pool’s edge.
Eventually the dog got in the water, possibly forced into it, but it was submerged as soon as it got in. Someone on set called “cut” and handlers rushed to the dog.
Director Lasse Hallström sent out a Tweet. He said he didn’t witness the actions in the video and that it left him disturbed. He said he will investigate the situation and any wrongdoing will be reported and punished. He added that everyone was committed to providing a loving and safe environment for all animals in the movie.
I have been promised that a thorough investigation into this situation is underway and that any wrongdoing will be reported and punished.
— lasse hallstrom (@HallstromLasse) January 19, 2017
Josh Gad, the movie’s voice star, recorded the dog narration in a sound studio. He wasn’t on the film set, but he too said he was shaken by the incident.