Los Angeles County's Animal Care and Control department is investigating "Dog Whisperer" Cesar Millan after he allowed a dog to attack and bite a pet pig on his show, Cesar 911.

In the February 26 show, Millan was working with Simon, an aggressive French bulldog-terrier mix with a history of attacking his owner's potbellied pigs and other animals, a National Geographic Channels spokesman confirmed. The episode showed Simon biting the ear of one of the pigs during a training session. Complaints started after the episode aired. There have also been calls for the show to be canceled.

Simon killed two pigs prior to the show; Cesar unleashed it in another pig's presence to demonstrate the effectiveness of his dominating approach to animal correction.

National Geographic backed Millan and promised to co-operate with the investigation. Chris Albert, SVP Global Communications and Talent Relations for National Geographic Channels, wrote that the pig "nipped by [French Bulldog mix] Simon was tended to immediately afterward, healed quickly and showed no lasting signs of distress."

Cesar Millan has dedicated his life to helping dogs and to showing how even the most difficult “problem dog” can be rescued and rehabilitated. In a recent episode of the Nat Geo WILD series Cesar 911, Cesar works with an aggressive French bulldog/terrier mix named Simon, who has a history of attacking other animals, including his owner’s pet pot-bellied pigs. A short clip from the episode was shared online and showed Simon chasing a pig and nipping its ear, causing the ear to bleed.

So-called "dog whisperer" Cesar Millan thought he had a great idea to fix a dog who had killed two pet pigs. He'd let it off the leash near a new pig, then inflict whatever pseudoscientific, domineering bullshit he does to dogs to make dogs temporarily obedient. Unfortunately, the dog immediately ran over to the pig and bit part of it its ear off before anyone could stop it.

Far from being chastened, the producers apparently used the footage to market his show, reports The Dodo:

The clip has raised a storm of controversy on social media, along with a petition to get Millan off the air permanently.

Jim Crosby, an outspoken animal behaviorist who has trained hundreds of dogs, thinks Millan may have even committed a crime under section 597 of California's criminal code.

"Even if we let the first engagement slide as an accident," he writes on Facebook, "this documents several felony counts occurring in California at the 'Dog Psychology Center' as directed and permitted by the trainer. It may also qualify as 'baiting' under the various state and federal dog and animal fighting statutes."

The original promo clip seems to have been removed; all that I could find are outraged commentaries with sinister music and such. Here's another one, also commentated but with the original audio:

Psychology Today's Mark Derr says Cesar's methods are antiquated and his fans threaten critics.

… the best learning outcome would be for National Geographic to take a stand for dogs, pigs, and other animals and remove Cesar Millan from the air until he reforms his act.