The organization that ensures animal safety in film and television productions said Wednesday it is investigating whether a frightened dog was forced into churning water during the making of A Dog's Purpose.

American Humane has also suspended its safety representative who worked on the film and is hiring an independent investigator to explore the matter, said Mark Stubis, a spokesman for the organization.

The film's producer, Amblin Entertainment, and distributor, Universal Pictures, said in a joint statement that they are reviewing the footage, but they are confident that "great care and concern was shown" for the dog, a German Shepherd named Hercules.

"There were several days of rehearsal of the water scenes to ensure Hercules was comfortable with all of the stunts," the statement said.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals said in a Twitter post that dog lovers should boycott the film "to send the message that dogs & other animals should be treated humanely, not as props."

If your purpose is to be the best dog guardian you can be, do NOT buy a ticket to #ADogsPurpose No dog should suffer for a movie. — PETA (@peta) January 19, 2017

Actor Josh Gad, who lends his voice to a dog in the film, issued a statement on Twitter saying he has asked the studio and production team for an explanation of what he calls "disturbing images."

He said that while the finished film is "one of the most beautiful love letters to animals I have ever seen," he was troubled by the video.

"I am shaken and sad to see any animal put in a situation against its will," Gad wrote. A publicist for the actor confirmed the post was authentic.

This comes after a national animal welfare group filed a complaint in Manitoba after footage surfaced that appears to show a dog being forced into churning water during the production of the movie.

The TMZ video was allegedly shot on the set of A Dog's Purpose in Manitoba in 2015.

Animal Justice said it filed the complaint with the Winnipeg Humane Society and Winnipeg Police Service.

The group is alleging violations of federal and provincial animal protection laws.

The video goes on to show the dog becoming submerged in the water, at which point voices can be heard yelling "cut it" as crew members swim towards the dog.

In a statement to CTV News, Winnipeg Humane Society CEO Javier Schwersensky wrote:

“We understand there was an observer on the set of this film who was there to advocate on behalf of the dogs. All animals on a film set should have a qualified person who is there to protect their best interests. During the filming of this movie, the Winnipeg Humane Society was consulted for two scenes: a pond scene and a veterinarian clinic scene. It is important to ensure there is an unbiased representative who is neither the animal’s owner or handler that participates in every scene, protecting the animal’s health and safety."

Meanwhile a spokesperson for the Chief Veterinary Office tells CTV News:

“The office of the chief veterinarian can confirm it has received a complaint this afternoon related to a movie filmed in the province. We are unable to provide further information at this time"

The Winnipeg Police Service told CTV News Thursday they are not investigating the incident.

- With files from The Associated Press