American Humane: Third-party report clears 'A Dog's Purpose'

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.

"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 two scenes shown in the edited video were filmed at different times, the group said in reporting the findings.

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."

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.