‘A Dog’s Purpose’: Watch the Video That Outraged PETA

The family film has received widespread backlash following a leak of behind-the-scenes footage

Warning: Watch the above video at your own discretion as you may find it disturbing. 

“A Dog’s Purpose” wasn’t expected to make many headlines ahead of its rollout into theaters next Friday. But that all changed when TMZ posted a leaked video of one of the dogs used for filming, which shows the canine getting pushed into a pool of raging water during the making of the movie.

The video, which was filmed in November 2015, shows a trainer forcing a German Shepherd into a pool that had been fitted with motors to simulate a whitewater river. The dog clawed at the edge of the pool before being finally pushed and submerged in the water. Once there, the dog struggled to stay afloat until a voice yelled “cut” and handlers rushed to pull the dog out of the water.

“A Dog’s Purpose,” which is directed by Lasse Hallstrom, is based off W. Bruce Cameron’s 2010 novel about a dog that learns his purpose as he is reincarnated into various dogs over the course of several lifetimes. The leaked video has triggered an immense backlash against the film, with PETA calling for a boycott and dog lovers voicing their displeasure on Twitter and IMDb.

You can see the video for yourself in the clip above. But we understand if you decide to pass on it.

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