YouTuber Brooke Houts has been facing a massive amount of backlash after accidentally uploading footage of herself slapping, yelling at and appearing to spit on her dog, a Doberman named Sphinx
The video, which has since been deleted, shows Houts slapping her dog across the face after it jumps on her chest, later screaming, “Stop!” and appearing to spit on the animal after shoving him. The 20-year-old told followers in the video that she was attempting to prank her dog by putting plastic wrap on the door and having him run into it.
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The late Beth Chapman‘s daughter Bonnie Chapman was one of many social media users to criticize Houts for her actions, tweeting that she was “so pissed” about Sphinx’s treatment and that her “heart genuinely breaks” for the animal.
Do. Not. Take. Your. Anger. Out. On. Helpless. Pets.
— Bonnie Chapman (@Bonniejoc) August 7, 2019
The incident is being investigated by the LAPD and told PEOPLE, “We are aware of the incident. Our Animal Cruelty Task Force has received numerous complaints about the video and we are currently looking into the matter.”
On Aug. 6, Houts issued a response to the criticism surrounding the footage and wrote that while she was not going to play the “victim card,” she is “rarely as upset as what was shown in the footage.”
“Should I have gotten as angry as I did in the video? No. Should I have raised my voice and yelled at him? No,” she added. “However, when my 75 lb. Doberman is jumping in my face with his mouth open, I do, as a dog parent, have to show him that this behavior is unacceptable.”
To everyone who has been commenting on my social media as of recently: pic.twitter.com/gnxUbfVHdf
— b (@brookehouts) August 7, 2019
“I want to clarify that I am NOT a dog abuser or animal abuser in any way, shape or form,” Houts continued. “Anyone who has witnessed or heard true animal abuse will be able to clearly see that. My dog, in no way, shape, or form was hurt by any action that I displayed in this video. Again, I should NOT have yelled at him or have been as physically aggressive as I was, and I’m fully aware of that.”
On Friday, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) president Ingrid Newkirk sent an open letter to YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, Twitch and TikTok, asking the platforms to enforce a zero-tolerance policy for animal abuse.
“One day of outrage before the public moves on to the next scandal isn’t enough to stop streamers from hurting animals,” PETA Vice President Joel Bartlett said in a press release. “These people need to know that they’ll no longer get the ‘likes,’ followers, and subscribers they’re so desperate for if they harm a hair on an animal’s head, and PETA is calling for a zero-tolerance policy for animal abusers across all social media platforms.”
Photo Credit: Getty / Ilya S. Savenok
