Quote: Bob Scott

Sounds like the red carpet opening has been canceled for the time being and there will be a number of investigations on the issues.

The movie animal watch dog, pardon the pun, was put on "leave" for now. Whatever that means.

GOOD, on both counts !!! The treatment of that poor dog is a shameful DISGRACE

From the producer of the movie: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gavin-polone-a-dogs-purpose-outcry-what-happened-whos-blame-967160

He mentions that when the dog was in rehearsals it was on the other side of the pool. and he eagerly jumped in. For whatever reason, they changed the shot to the other side of the pool and the dog balked. He was not used to working on that side.

I can say, I've had that issue with dogs as well - when training Toni in Flyball, she only ran on the left. When I put her in the right lane, she crossed over, not understanding that she was supposed to go to her own box.

Do I agree with what happened? Let's put it this way, I can understand putting the dog in the water when it had previously worked in the water quite eagerly before. Anyone that dock dives can tell you that dogs sometimes balk on a new dock even when they are accomplished jumpers. When they do that, we will take them down the ramp - in this case they lowered the dog into the water as there was obviously no ramp available. I've done that with Tyra off a boat when we were boating so that she knew where to go to get back up. As for the dog looking scared and tense, some dogs just don't like to be picked up - Drift hates being picked up and will react just like the GSD in the clip - even if she's not "terrified".

About the dog going under - no I don't like that, but again, in dock diving, Tyra would hit the bottom of the pool EACH time she jumped. It got to be kind of a joke. She would also try to get out of the pool by trying to climb the side and was too deaf to hear us calling at the ramp. Did she drown? No. Is she now so afraid of water that she won't jump? No.

The video was from TMZ and supported by PETA. Seriously, take the sources into consideration before jumping to judgement.

I don't know the whole story - it does appear that the AHA has not been doing the job they are supposed to do, but that goes for other movies they are involved in as well- not particularly this one.

Am I going to see the movie? Probably not - it would be a giant cry fest for me, and I just don't want to put myself through that... it has nothing to do with the release of the clip.

My 2 cents, take it for what it is...

Kel

Hi Kelly, I understand your point of view. But for me the whole horrible story is not a question of what the dog was able to do on the other side. What we can see here is the story of a dog, who was forced. I know there are dogs who dive to the ground. But they have either learned it step by step or are dogs who from their nature are not scared from diving. For this dog here it is not simply a matter of having survived, it is a matter of having made such a terrible experience, which he will not forget so easily. Only this counts for me, not the source. One might perhaps count the story in another way, but it doesn't not matter what happened before, this is cruelty. There is no excuse for this.

 Quote: Christina Stockinger

Hi Kelly, I understand your point of view. But for me the whole horrible story is not a question of what the dog was able to do on the other side. What we can see here is the story of a dog, who was forced. I know there are dogs who dive to the ground. But they have either learned it step by step or are dogs who from their nature are not scared from diving. For this dog here it is not simply a matter of having survived, it is a matter of having made such a terrible experience, which he will not forget so easily. Only this counts for me, not the source. One might perhaps count the story in another way, but it doesn't not matter what happened before, this is cruelty. There is no excuse for this.

I am 100% with U on this, Christina -- And yes, I read that whole (IMHO) "spin-doctored" Damage Control PR / BS piece from those with a Vested FINANCIAL Interest in saying it was no big deal for that GSD Am I misguided in my opinion ??? Anything is Possible ... Will those guys be able to convince me They are Right ??? NOT bloody likely !!!

I'm just saying that you need to consider the source - the truth is probably somewhere between the two stories.

AND, I've had worse battles with Drift over trimming her nails or cleaning her ears or getting on the exam table at the vet, and she is perfectly fine.

I am willing to bet that if someone randomly took video of anyone struggling with a dog - like over a nail trim - they can spin it to make it look like abuse. It's not hard to edit something to make it look bad - especially with a Shepherd - all they have to do is lower their ears and they look like they've been abused their whole lives...

Keep everything in perspective - let's not be Lemmings...

Kelly

Good point Kelly.. You would think I was beating Jazz with a stick when trimming his nails, and when the leash touches him or you tug on it he screams bloody murder..
In the end I force his nails to be trimmed, but I most likely wouldn't force him into that water..

But this dog was actulally extremely frightened and tried everything in order to escape. I cn not see this in perspective. Or do think the whole situation was only put? A dog trained to show fright although he isn't? How? I for myself can not accept this. This dog was definitally desperate. I don't see any reason at all for throwing dog into the water, if he is struggling against this.
I don't see any comparison with nail trimming. There too a dog shouldn't be forced, but gently prepared to accept this. LB has enough advices how to do this. above all, there he is getting used to this and will learn that nothing will happen to him. this is quite a difference with going through an experience with the feeling to be drowned.

Christina, the dog was NOT just thrown into the water. They tried to get him in, he refused, they tried to lower him in and he struggled so they pulled him back out. THAT is the end of that clip. It was 84 seconds? We don't know what happened before and we don't know what happened after that 84 seconds.

The first time I lifted Drift onto the exam table at the vet, she clawed my face and neck so bad it looked like I'd been in a fight with a lion. And she screamed like a banshee to boot. Once she was on the table she was fine and acted like nothing ever happened.

We don't know what was happening on that set - we weren't there. The "investigations" have not be completed yet. I prefer NOT to call someone an animal abuser until I have all the facts.

When I first moved out to my current house in the country, my horses did not have a barn. They used the garage which opened into the pasture on the side. About a month after I moved in the county animal welfare officer came to my house saying that someone put in a complaint that my horses were abused and did not have access to shelter. The officer looked around, saw that they were well taken care of and had access to the garage, and left. Do you have any idea how it makes a person feel when they love animals and are accused of abusing them or treating them badly? All it takes is one incident taken out of context, one person to jump to conclusions, and someone's entire life could be ruined.

Here's an interesting interview of the producer of the movie:
http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/gavin-polone-a-dogs-purpose-outcry-what-happened-whos-blame-967160

This quote is from the very end, but the whole article presents information.

QUOTE from link above:

That PETA has an impossible agenda and that someone probably tried to make money by making my film look bad, does not excuse the mistakes made 15 months ago, irrespective of the fact that the dog in question was unharmed.

But what is to be done about the mistakes made on that day in October of 2015 on the production of A Dog’s Purpose? I say that we build a better method of protecting animals on sets through a better animal-protective service. PETA says the film should be boycotted and no dogs ever be used in movies or TV. I would ask that if a teacher were to hit a student in class, should the whole school be closed and all the children left without an education? This is a movie that is intended to reinforce the idea that animals are sentient and we should love and protect them, just like the movies and TV shows I saw as a kid made me understand. You probably have similar touchstones that relate to your feelings about animals, too. So, isn’t there worth in A Dog’s Purpose, and movies like it, from an animal welfare perspective?

Oops ... didn't realize that link had been posted!