Canine controversy could ripple into Manitoba's film industry, A Dog's Purpose producer says

The controversy around aManitoba-shot movie could have fallout for the province's film industry, the producer of A Dog's Purposesays.

The Hollywood premiere and some Canadian screenings of the movie have been cancelled after the release of a video which appears to showa German shepherd being forced into turbulent water.

Gavin Polone, the movie's producer, said while he enjoyed shooting A Dog's Purposein Winnipeg and would return, other film studios might be more hesitant.

"This movie was set to be very successful, and I still hope that it will be, but if it doesn't I think other film studios will be questioning why this happened," Polone said on CBC Radio's Up To Speedon Tuesday.

• A Dog's Purpose Hollywood premiere, Canadian preview screenings cancelled
• Animal rights group complaint alleges 'blatant animal cruelty' on A Dog's Purpose film set

The movie, which stars Dennis Quaid and follows the lives of a repeatedly reincarnated dog named Bailey, was shot throughout Manitoba from August to October 2015.

On Jan. 18, a video purportedly from the Winnipeg set was released by TMZ,and appeared to showa film crew forcing a dog into turbulent water in a pool. The dog is seen resisting entering the water and clawing at the edges of the pool.

"I was quite upset. I don't want to see any dog in any kind of distress, including my own dog when I have to wash her," Polone said.

"If you care about animals you obviously care about their feelings, and that dog clearly was distressed about what the trainer was doing and I was upset as well."

A column by Polone for the Hollywood Reporter published on Monday explainedthat he was appalled by the video, particularly because he is a vegan with alove for animals. He said he was on the film set for about 70 per cent of the 11-week production and didn't see any animals in discomfort or danger.

Sowhen the video was released, he says he went to find out what actually went on that day. Polone said he watched all of the video the studio had from all of their different cameras, as well as video from dog trainers.

"It painted a somewhat different picture from what we saw on that TMZ video," he said, adding the video cut footage from two time periods together.

Polone said he would like the public to also see the whole uncut sequence of the stunt, but because he and others who worked on the film have been getting online threats, the studio has legal and security concerns at the moment.

The worry is those making threats might also go after people visible on the set.

In the meantime, the studio has been inviting news organizations to come see the whole video so "they can see what we've been saying is true."

Polone said there were multiple people on set to ensure the dog's safety and Hercules, the dog, had rehearsed the scene multiple times from the other side of the pool comfortably. There was also a platform just below the water, he added.

But he said an error was made.

'Should have stopped it immediately'

When the dogshowed that he was uncomfortable the scene should have stopped.

"That means the trainer should have said, 'Hey, this isn't going to work.' The representative from the American Humane Association, who is paid to be there to protect the animal actors on all film sets, should have stopped it immediately," he said.

"And anybody else who was running the production should have stopped it immediately, but they didn't, so it went on for 40 seconds."

In his column, Polone wrote the Humane Associationrepresentatives "should be held accountable and never used again by that studio or its affiliates."

CBC has reached out to the association for comment.

• Trailer for Dennis Quaid film shot in Winnipeg now online

'It surprised me. I really love Winnipeg'

Polone also reiterated his question about why the person who released the video waited so long to release it.

"This person held it for 15 months to coincide with the opening of the movie," he said. "My conjecture is that they wanted to wait until the advertising for the movie had been in full swing so they would get a better sale from TMZ."

He said he was surprised it was an action to come from a Canadian film set because "this felt like a very American thing to do.

"It surprised me. I really love Winnipeg," he said.

A red-carpet premier for the movie will be held in Brandon, Man.on Wednesday night. It opens in theatres across the country on Friday.