Kate Gosselin Accused of Treating Dog Better Than Special Needs Son

Kate Gosselin got the full internet comment overreaction treatment this weekend when she posted a picture of her dog under a blanket.

The reality TV mom put this dog photo up on Instagram, displaying Nanuq’s new polar bear blanket for all the world to see.

Fans and followers connected some disparate dots, asking why they were receiving updates on Nanuq, yet hearing nothing about Gosselin’s son Collin, who she sent away to a treatment facility almost a year and a half ago.

“Collin has special needs,” Gosselin explained to PEOPLE at the time. “[There’s] a fairly fluid diagnosis of what those needs are, but he needs to learn certain strategies to help him deal with things. This has been a struggle we’ve had for a very long time, and it’s one I’ve dealt with on my own. I’ve felt very alone in this. By the same token, it’s not something that has only impacted me or him – our entire family has been impacted.”

Yet to the internet, this explanation and bid for privacy wasn’t enough. Commenters immediately took to asking for updates on the 13-year-old, with one going so far as to suggest that Gosselin cared more about the dog than her son.

“I wonder if she got Collin a Christmas present or are the dogs more important?” they wrote.

This sparked a heated debate in the reality star’s comment section, with some fans arguing that Gosselin is entitled to her privacy while others demanded information about her missing son.

“Now seems very harsh in my opinion,” wrote one person of the comparison between Nanuq and Collin’s treatment. “She has stated several times where he is and what is going on while respecting his privacy. She doesn’t owe anyone more than that. Why would she need to comment on it? I’m sure Christmas was incredibly hard on her and her kids.”

“She posted pics of all the other kids,” responded someone else, “but didnt even mention colin or that she missed him. Im not the only one whos wondering about him. Seems the kid just dropped off the planet and his mother could care less.”

Gosselin didn’t respond to any of the non-sequiturs or criticisms.