'A Dog's Purpose' Video Update: Writer W. Bruce Cameron Speaks Out, Denies Animal Was Harmed Amid Movie Boycott

W. Bruce Cameron, the author of the book that inspired the film "A Dog's Purpose," responded to a controversial video from the set that has sparked outrage over alleged animal abuse. The clip, which was leaked online Wednesday by TMZ, shows a German Shepard named Hercules being forced into a pool of rushing water.

"I found the video we've all seen to be shocking because when I was on set, the ethic of everyone was the safety and comfort of the dogs," Cameron said, in a statement to E! News on Friday. "If the people who shot and edited the video thought something was wrong, why did they wait 15 months to do anything about it, instead of immediately going to the authorities?"

"I have since viewed footage taken of the day in question, when I wasn't there, and it paints an entirely different picture," he reportedly added. "The written commentary accompanying the edited video mischaracterizes what happened. The dog was not terrified and not thrown in the water—I've seen footage of Hercules earlier that day joyfully jumping in the pool. When he was asked to perform the stunt from the other side of the pool, which was not how he had been doing it all day, he balked. The mistake was trying to dip the dog in the water to show him it was okay— the water wasn't his issue, it was the location that was the issue, and the dog happily did the stunt when he was allowed to return to his original spot."

"I also didn't like it when Hercules' head briefly went under water, but there was a scuba diver and a trainer in the pool to protect him," he went on, adding: "He loves the water, wasn't in danger, and wasn't upset."

The disturbing video, which shows the dog clinging to a platform as the handler tries to force it into the water, went viral Wednesday. The movie's premiere Thursday was canceled after People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) called for the boycott of the film.

The video is currently being investigated by the American Humane Society.

“While we continue to review the circumstances shown in the edited footage, Amblin is confident that great care and concern was shown for the German Shephard Hercules, as well as for the other dogs featured throughout the production of the film,” Amblin Entertainment said in a statement Wednesday. “On the day of the shoot, Hercules did not want to perform the stunt portrayed on the tape so the Amblin production team did not proceed with filming that shot.”

The movie was scheduled to be released nationwide on Jan. 27.