Silke Jasso
When he was approached to be a part of “A Dog’s Purpose,” actor Josh Gad admitted he was “beyond touched and moved” by what he saw.
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But, his opinion of this lighthearted movie about the bond between people and their pets quickly changed after he saw the “disturbing” behind-the-scenes footage of a German Shepard being forced into a pool of rushing water during filming.
“I signed on to a film that truly stands out as one of the most beautiful love letters to animals that I have ever seen,” he wrote to fans on Instagram. “Today, however, I saw a disturbing video that appears to show a scared German Shepard being forced to perform a stunt on the set of this film.”
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He continued, “I am shaken and sad to see any animal put in a situation against its will. As a proud owner of a rescued dog and a fervent supporter of organizations like PETA, I have reached out to the production team and studio to ask for an explanations for these disturbing images.”
“Amblin Entertainment,” the production company behind the film responded to the footage shortly after it was leaked by TMZ. They claimed that the dog in the video, named Hercules, had “several days of rehearsal of the water scenes to ensure [he] was comfortable with all of the stunts.”
They also maintain that though it appears he is drowning in the footage, he was rescued by divers and is “happy and healthy.”
