LOS ANGELES—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.

Animal Justice, a Toronto-based animal law organization, filed animal-cruelty complaints over the treatment of the German shepherd.

The footage was apparently shot near Winnipeg in November. It first surfaced on the website TMZ and shows the distressed dog fighting to stay out of the water by repeatedly clawing at the edge of the pool.

A subsequent shot shows the dog submerged under the water while a voice is heard yelling “Cut it!” and handlers moved in to pull the animal out.

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals has called for a boycott of the movie, which stars Dennis Quaid and is out on Jan. 27 in Toronto. The director is Lasse Hallstrom, a veteran known for previous films such as The Cider House Rules and What’s Eating Gilbert Grape, has worked with dogs at least twice before: with 1985’s Oscar-nominated coming-of-age tale My Life as a Dog and 2009’s Hachi: A Dog’s Tale.

Animal Justice said it has filed complaints with the Winnipeg Humane Society, the Chief Veterinary Office of Manitoba, and the Winnipeg police department alleging violations of federal and provincial animal protection laws.

Universal Pictures did not respond to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

“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.”

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.”

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He said that although 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.