WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, February 3, 2017 — An independent, third-party investigation conducted by a respected animal cruelty expert into the treatment of animals in the filming of “A Dog’s Purpose” concluded that an edited video given to the gossip site TMZ mischaracterized the events on the set. 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. 
 
 The findings of the independent investigation confirm that no animals were harmed in those scenes and numerous preventative safety measures were in place. 
 
 The investigation and eyewitness reports have brought to light the following facts: 
 
 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 first video scene was stopped after the dog showed signs of stress. The dog was not forced to swim in the water at any time. 
 
 A full spectrum of preparation and safety measures were in place, including the following: Prior to shooting the scene, safety meetings were held to go over and reinforce safety precautions and protocols. The dog was selected for his love of the water, and had been professionally trained and conditioned for the water scenes over the course of six weeks, using positive training techniques. In addition to one of American Humane’s Certified Animal Safety Representatives, five experts—including safety specialists and animal handlers—were present to supervise and safeguard the dog throughout the water scene. During the last scene, handlers immediately assisted the dog out of the water, at which point he was placed in a warming tent and received an examination that found no signs of stress. Eyewitnesses report that the dog wanted to go back in the water. Still, out of an abundance of caution, American Humane stopped filming of any more scenes with the dog. 
 
 A veterinary checkup was performed last week at the request of American Humane, which confirmed that the dog is healthy. 
 
 The investigation and eyewitness reports affirmed that throughout its work on the set, the dog was treated with great care, attentiveness and respect. At the same time, American Humane believes 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. Although the dog was momentarily stressed, based on studying additional footage not included in the video, body posture, and the fact that he quickly and willingly went into the water and performed the scene soon afterwards, a separate, independent, board certified Veterinary Behaviorist brought in to examine the events concluded that there was “no lasting stress response or conditioned fear of the water as a result.” Eyewitnesses also report that following the water scene, the dog was wagging his tail and wanted to go back into the water. The New York Times recently noted that the accusations of mistreatment on the set have been “largely debunked.” The findings of the independent, third-party investigation corroborate this conclusion. 
 
 “American Humane is at the forefront of combatting cruelty to animals through our rescue efforts, support of anti-cruelty raids, and work to improve conditions for animals around the world,” said Dr. Kwane Stewart, the veterinarian who heads American Humane’s “No Animals Were Harmed” program. “It is disappointing that the public was misled by a manufactured controversy promoted by a radical organization like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals with a mission to remove animals from films and other parts of our lives. We are the first to address and fight cruelty and abuse, and no such things happened on the set of ‘A Dog Purpose.’” 
 
 About the “No Animals Were Harmed®” program 
 
 The No Animals Were Harmed program is based on the comprehensive Guidelines for the Safe Use of Animals in Filmed Media, rigorous, species-specific protocols that are defined, reviewed, and regularly updated by a Scientific Advisory Committee of leading, independent animal scientists, animal behaviorists, veterinarians, and animal ethicists. The leader of the No Animals Were Harmed program is a renowned veterinarian with more than 20 years’ experience, and many of our trained Certified Animal Safety Representatives are also veterinarians (Doctors of Veterinary Medicine). 
 
 We take extraordinary steps to ensure the safety of animals, starting long before a film starts shooting with a rigorous script review, detailed inspection of the sets and environment where animals will be, and on-set monitoring by trained Certified Animal Safety Representatives. For more than 75 years, we have been protecting animal actors, monitoring on average 1,000 sets every year, keeping countless animals safe. 
 
 About American Humane 
 
 American Humane is the country’s first national humane organization. To learn more, please visit www.americanhumane.org. ||||| An independent investigation has concluded that no animals were harmed on the set of A Dog’s Purpose, according to American Humane, the group in charge of overseeing animal safety on the film’s set. 
 
 The investigation was launched after a controversial video surfaced apparently showing a German Shepherd being forced into turbulent water onset. 
 
 “An independent, third-party investigation conducted by a respected animal cruelty expert into the treatment of animals in the filming of A Dog’s Purpose concluded that an edited video given to the gossip site TMZ mischaracterized the events on the set,” American Humane says in a statement posted to their website on Friday. 
 
 “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,” the statement continues. 
 
 American Humane claims the investigation, along with eyewitness reports, concluded the video was edited “for the purpose of misleading the public and stoking outrage” and the footage was pieced together from two scenes filmed at different times. 
 
 Additionally, American Humane says the investigator notes that the dog was not forced to swim, and the scene was stopped after the dog showed signs of stress. A full range of standard safety measures were also in place, according to the report, including safety meetings, proper training techniques and onset handlers. The report also notes that the dog was chosen “for his love of the water” and was immediately placed in a warming tent after showing signs of stress. 
 
 RELATED: A Dog’s Purpose – Hercules Playing 
 
 After warming up in the tent, the investigator claims “eyewitnesses report that the dog wanted to go back in the water” — but the scene was ended anyway “out of an abundance of caution.” American Humane also states that a “veterinary checkup was performed last week” which confirmed the dog is healthy. The filmmakers behind the film also released photos and videos (see above) of the German Shepherd Hercules to prove he was not harmed. 
 
 However, the organization does admit in its report “that the handling of the dog in the first scene in the video should have been gentler and signs of stress recognized earlier.” But unlike what is shown in the video, American Humane claims the stress was recognized and the scene was stopped. “A separate, independent, board certified Veterinary Behaviorist brought in to examine the events concluded that there was ‘no lasting stress response or conditioned fear of the water as a result,’ ” notes the website. 
 
 “American Humane is at the forefront of combatting cruelty to animals through our rescue efforts, support of anti-cruelty raids, and work to improve conditions for animals around the world,” Dr. Kwane Stewart, the veterinarian who heads American Humane’s No Animals Were Harmed program says in the statement. 
 
 “It is disappointing that the public was misled by a manufactured controversy promoted by a radical organization like People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals with a mission to remove animals from films and other parts of our lives. We are the first to address and fight cruelty and abuse, and no such things happened on the set of A Dog Purpose.” ||||| This image released by Universal Studios shows John Ortiz in a scene from "A Dog's Purpose." Marketers would describe "A Dog's Purpose" as a film with "four-quadrant" appeal, meaning it's likely to draw... (Associated Press) 
 
 This image released by Universal Studios shows John Ortiz in a scene from "A Dog's Purpose." Marketers would describe "A Dog's Purpose" as a film with "four-quadrant" appeal, meaning it's likely to draw moviegoers of both genders, young and old. Based on a bestselling book and told from a dog's perspective,... (Associated Press) 
 
 This image released by Universal Studios shows John Ortiz in a scene from "A Dog's Purpose." Marketers would describe "A Dog's Purpose" as a film with "four-quadrant" appeal, meaning it's likely to draw moviegoers of both genders, young and old. Based on a bestselling book and told from a dog's perspective,... (Associated Press) This image released by Universal Studios shows John Ortiz in a scene from "A Dog's Purpose." Marketers would describe "A Dog's Purpose" as a film with "four-quadrant" appeal, meaning it's likely to draw... (Associated Press) 
 
 LOS ANGELES (AP) — 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 Saturday. 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-$20-million range still managed to earn an estimated $18.4 million and place second at the box office, behind "Split." Studio representatives said that was in line with their hopes. 
 
 Amblin Entertainment and Universal Pictures declined comment on the report Saturday. 
 
 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. 
 
 The on-set representative, who American Humane said was joined by three trainers, a safety coordinator and a water safety diver throughout the scene, was suspended after the video's release. The group declined to address the person's status, citing confidentiality for personnel issues. 
 
 Lisa Lange, senior vice president for the animal rights group PETA, called the report's findings incomplete and said the video still shows "a frightened dog who did not wish to go into the water." 
 
 "The fact that the dog did not get injured or die is not at issue, but questions remain," including why the dog was checked at the time, Lange said in a statement. "In the making of a film, no animal should be frightened at all. It is a film." 
 
 Dr. Kwane Stewart, the veterinarian in charge of American Humane's "No Animals Were Harmed" program based on filming guidelines developed by a scientific advisory committee, said in a statement that the organization is "the first to address fight cruelty and abuse" and that none occurred on the movie set. 
 
 American Humane is the sole industry-sanctioned animal safety group on film and TV production sets. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Lynn Elber can be reached at lelber@ap.org and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/lynnelber.
– All that controversy over the treatment of a German shepherd in A Dog's Purpose? Bogus, says an independent investigation. There was no animal cruelty on the set, just a deliberately misleading video, declares American Humane, the group charged with ensuring animal safety on movie sets, per People. It commissioned the review, which concluded that not only was the dog treated well but that the video leaked to TMZ was "deliberately edited for the purpose of misleading the public and stoking outrage." A statement from the group says those who released the video manipulated footage shot at different times, then waited 15 months until the film was about to be released for maximum impact. (The strategy worked.) The group does say that "the handling of the dog in the first scene in the video should have been gentler and signs of stress recognized earlier." But it says the video was stitched together to make the situation seem far worse than it was. It notes that eyewitnesses said the dog was wagging its tail and wanted to go back in the water, and a veterinary expert concluded that the dog was only "momentarily stressed." The investigation backs up the assertion of the filmmakers, who earlier complained about a misleading video. Still, a PETA rep called the report's findings incomplete and insisted that questions remain, reports AP. "In the making of a film, no animal should be frightened at all," she says. "It's a film."