Leaked video showing a frightened dog being forced into churning water during filming of "A Dog's Purpose" was misleadingly edited and the German shepherd was unharmed, according to third-party findings released by American Humane, the group responsible for overseeing animal safety on the movie set.
An independent animal-cruelty expert found that preventative safety measures were in place to protect the dog, Hercules, American Humane said. The board-certified veterinarian, who was not identified, concluded that the dog was momentarily stressed but suffered no lasting ill effects.
The group said the outside expert, whose name was withheld because of the public outcry following the video's release, found it to be a misrepresentation of events.
"The decisions by the individual or individuals who captured and deliberately edited the footage, and then waited longer than 15 months to release the manipulated video only days before the movie's premiere, raise serious questions about their motives and ethics," American Humane said Friday.
"The video was deliberately edited for the purpose of misleading the public and stoking outrage. In fact, the two scenes shown in the edited video were filmed at different times," the group said in reporting the findings.
That conclusion was based on viewing unedited footage from the set and on eyewitness accounts, group spokesman Mark Stubis said yesterday. Who may have leaked the video wasn't addressed in the report, and American Humane doesn't know who is responsible, he said.
The video had an immediate impact on "A Dog's Purpose," starring Dennis Quaid and featuring Josh Gads' voice, as a planned press day and starry premiere were canceled. But producer Amblin Entertainment and distributor Universal Pictures stuck to plans to release the PG-rated film a week ago in more than 3,000 North American theaters.
Despite the controversy, the feel-good film that had been pegged to open in the mid-USD 20-million range still managed to earn an estimated USD 18.4 million and place second at the box office, behind "Split." Studio representatives said that was in line with their hopes.
Amblin Entertainment declined comment on the report yesterday. Universal didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
American Humane, which had an animal safety representative on the set, acknowledged that "the handling of the dog in the first scene in the video should have been gentler and signs of stress recognized earlier."
"That being said, it is important to note that this was recognized and the scene did not proceed as insinuated by the misleadingly edited video," the group added. The dog was immediately taken to a warming tent, an examination found no signs of stress, and the dog later was returned to filming, it said.
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