Growing Online Trend Raises New Concerns About Dog Welfare

Warning: photos of abuse below. Dogs are trending online, whether it’s through heartwarming rescue stories or their continuous adorable antics. It seems like a positive trend to support, but what happens when online influencers are objectifying their pets for the sake of likes? Some online influencers are doing just about anything to gain attention, even if it involves hurting their pups in the process. What some online users are passing off as “harmless pranks”, are beginning to spark outrage. Videos have surfaced of pet owners force-feeding their animals vodka, biting and punching their pets in hopes of getting a response, and even, horrifically, throwing their pups in the dryer. How could any of these actions be that of a responsible pet owner, who has their dog’s best interest at heart? Animal lovers around the world are livid and want to see justice. But will it ever come? This video shows a cruel pet owner, biting and terrifying his dog for likes. Some of the more well-known injustices in the animal world have gained attention for their lack of follow-through with punishment. One of them being the recent case of the YouTuber Brook Houts, where a video surfaced of her “acciden...