A California YouTube star accidentally uploaded a video that captured her apparently hitting, shoving, and spitting on her Doberman puppy — and police are now investigating the case, according to a new report.
In the video — which has since been deleted but captured by others and posted to social media — YouTuber Brooke Houts announces that she would be pranking her dog, Sphinx, using cling wrap.
When Sphinx is shown jumping into the frame, Houts reprimands him by slapping him on the head, as well as yelling “Stop!” and shoving him to the ground.
The clip also appears to show Houts spitting on Sphinx.
She can also be seen pushing the dog and yelling, “Lay down!”
Though Houts later posted the correct clip, she took it down after commenters lashed out at her, People reported.
Social media users also slammed Houts’ actions.
“That sweet dog literally just wanted to play and kiss you, and you’re sitting there smacking him, and abusing him so you can use him for views on Youtube?” Twitter user Happy Power wrote. “Pathetic, I bet she only got a dog for Youtube content.”
“Wtf this is so bad,” Jessica Blevins wrote. “I’ll take any dogs that people get because they think it’s cool but end up not wanting to care of them or deal with having a pet. Open door here. If you get a pet you better f—ing love it. I’m shook.”
The disturbing clip even caught the attention of PETA.
“DOGS DESERVE RESPECT. IF YOU CAN’T TREAT DOGS WITH KINDNESS AND INSTEAD HIT THEM, DON’T GET ONE,” the organization tweeted. “ATTN @YouTube: Please remove Brooke Houts from your platform.”
The Los Angeles Police Department told People that it was aware of the incident.
“Our Animal Cruelty Task Force has received numerous complaints about the video and we are currently looking into the matter,” the department said in a statement.
Houts responded to the backlash in a lengthy message posted to Twitter.
“I am not going to play the ‘victim card’ or anything of that sort, but I do want to point out that I am rarely as upset as what was shown in the footage,” she wrote. “The bubbly, happy-go-lucky Brooke that you often see in my videos is typically an accurate representation of me, but it’s obvious that I’m playing up my mood in this video when I’m clearly actually frustrated,” emphasizing that she is not trying to “justify” her behavior.
“Should I have gotten as angry as I did in the video?” she continued. “No. Should I have raised my voice and yelled at him? No. 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.”
“But I want to make it known, REGARDLESS of what my dog does, I should not have acted that way towards him,” she added. “I want to clarify that I am NOT a dog abuser or animal abuser in any way, shape or form.”
Houts also noted that her dog was not hurt by “in [any] way shape or form” by any of her actions shown in the clip.
She added that she and her family are in the process of getting training for Sphinx.
The apology was not enough to satisfy some viewers, including pro-wrestler Kassius Ohno.
“I sense no ACTUAL remorse in @brookehouts ‘apology,’” Ohno wrote. “The footage of Brooke abusing her dog shows she is UNFIT to have a pet.”
