YouTuber Brooke Houts came under fire after accidentally uploading a video revealing her abusing her dog. The issue comes just a few weeks after Twitch streamer Alinity was seen throwing her cat, giving her cat alcohol, and kicking her dog, which prompted an investigation by Twitch and animal protection services.
On YouTube, Houts uploaded a video titled "plastic wrap prank on my doberman!" where she put plastic wrap on a door frame and was going to film her dog, Sphinx, as he ran into it. However, viewers found that Houts had accidentally uploaded the unedited footage from the video, which showed the YouTuber punching her dog in the head before pinning the canine to the ground and then shoving it away as he tries to lick her face. At the end of the clip, a reflection from a TV screen seems to show Houts hitting the dog again and Sphinx can be heard howling.
Houts often makes positive videos with her doberman, such as a video of her "REAL morning routine" with the dog and another which shows her and her dogs favorite things to do together. Social media users on Houts' Twitter also found a tweet from July 2019 where she told one follower that "dogs don't respond well to punishment" and that they like "positive reinforcement." After the follower said that they throw their dogs, Houts told them to "discipline your pets in a healthier and kinder manner," a tweet for which she is now being called a hypocrite.
The YouTuber has now responded to the accusations of animal abuse, apologizing for the way she behaved and explaining that she was just having a bad day. Houts also says that she is seeking training for Sphinx to help the dog deal with but this is very expensive. Some weren't convinced by Houts' apology and H3H3, who also spoke up against Alinity's behavior, offered to buy Sphinx for "any price" to give the dog a new home.
It's unclear if Houts will face disciplinary action from YouTube or from local authorities. The video has been viewed more than 6.2 million times on Twitter but there's no telling if YouTube employees are among those viewers. Alinity avoided a ban on Twitch, despite there being a petition calling for the platform to ban her as well as public support for a ban from one Twitch employee.
Source: Twitter - shoe0nhead, brookehouts