'A Dog's Purpose' premiere and press event canceled after outrage over alleged dog abuse

Universal has canceled the weekend premiere and press junket for its movie "A Dog's Purpose," Deadline reports, following outrage over a video that appears to show a dog being abused during shooting.

In the video, released by TMZ, a German Shepard that appears fearful is forced into water for a shot.

PETA called for a boycott of "A Dog's Purpose," and numerous people involved with the movie spoke out following release of the video. Gavin Polone, a producer, said he was "horrified" by the footage, while actor Josh Gad, who voices the main dog character, said he was "shaken and sad."

The film's production company Amblin Entertainment and distributor Universal released the following statement:

While press around the movie has now been rolled back, "A Dog's Purpose" is still set to come out in theaters January 27.

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