The new film "A Dog's Purpose" has been the subject of controversy after a video, released by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals showed a German Shepherd being forced into a pool. A Dog's Purpose producer Gavin Polone a producer on the film said that the video "portrays an inaccurate picture of what happened" and maintained that PETA was being deliberately misleading.

The controversy over the video and the treatment of animals during the making of the film prompted Dinah Brein, Manager of the Admiral Theater to speak out.

Brein said, “Several months ago when I heard about this film I was thrilled to show it at the theater. I have been promoting the movie trailer on screen for the last month. Anyone who knows me is aware that I have held benefits for the Humane Society for the past 5 years and if I’m not at the theater, I’m at Westcrest Off Leash dog park with my 3 (very spoiled dogs).

The recent flap about this film was met with dismay by myself and the owners, again all dog lovers/owners. Like the films’ producer, we were surprised that since this partial footage had been circulated for over a year, why is it just coming out now….1 week prior to the movie’s debut. The distributor, Universal has conducted an investigation and through the Producer and star Denis Quaid have released the following statements.

Dennis Quaid (on today’s Ellen show)
"I just know my experience when I was on the set. The dogs I worked with, and even the donkey, who's also in the movie, all the other animals were treated with the greatest respect and care and compassion."

"I really believe that, for one thing, this video does not tell the entire story, and that the dogs were treated with the greatest respect."

Ellen DeGeneres

“This video was shot back when the movie was shot in 2015. I think it's really interesting that if you care about a dog, and if you see a dog that is being forced to do something or treated badly, the next day that video should have been released. Somebody should have said something the next day. Don't wait until the movie comes out and say, 'Boycott the whole movie.'"

She goes on to say;

"I would hate to see this movie not be seen because if you love animals, you will love this movie, and it'll make you care even more deeply, and you'll respect them more. And animals deserve that respect because they can't talk for themselves. They don't have a voice. And I think they should be protected."

Meanwhile, the film's producer Gavin Polone has written an article for The Hollywood Reporter, accusing PETA bosses of sensationalizing the scandal.

"My will is set up so that all I have shall be donated to charities benefiting animals when I die... The most consistent and closest relationships I’ve had throughout my life have been with animals... The idea that I’m connected to an accusation of the abuse of a dog is, to understate it, painful."

Polone explains he received a barrage of correspondence after PETA activists called for a boycott of the movie before an investigation into the handling of the dogs used in the film.

The producer also assures readers that the dog, Hercules, is "quite well", before turning on PETA bosses, accusing them of "fomenting negative publicity around these events with great energy".

"Not only have they been circulating the TMZ video, which portrays an inaccurate picture of what happened, but they have included a clip from our trailer where you see the dog jumping into a treacherous rushing wall of water," he adds. "But THAT ISN’T A REAL DOG, it is a computer-generated dog leaping into the water... In another post, they show a German Shepard in a dismal steel cage, which isn’t our dog (sic). Again, misleading."

“PETA’s position is obviously extreme and one that would never yield results. That PETA has an impossible agenda and that someone probably tried to make money by making my film look bad, does not excuse the mistakes made 15 months ago, irrespective of the fact that the dog in question was unharmed. If studios stop backing films like A Dog’s Purpose because they fear being attacked by groups like PETA, and kids who are now the age I was when I formed my understanding that animals are deserving of love and protection can’t see those movies, it will absolutely have a negative effect on animal welfare in the future."

Brein says she feels confident that the animals in the film were treated humanely. I too have seen the film and believe it’s a real “love letter to the bond that humans and their pets share and it would be a shame not to allow the public to see this movie because of something misrepresented.”

The film is now showing at the Admiral.