These influencers ought to be put within the doghouse.
A disturbing recent TikTok trend — where clueless owners dump buckets of ice water on their unsuspecting pups — is drawing widespread outrage from animal lovers, who’re barking mad over what they call a “cruel” and “appalling” stunt.
The so-called “#barkyourmindchallenge” is a twisted tackle the recently-revived ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that first soaked the web a decade ago, raising awareness for a neurodegenerative disease.
But as an alternative of chilling themselves for cause, some brain-frozen pet owners are drenching their dogs — all for the sake of a number of likes.
“Dousing an unsuspecting dog with water is an appalling betrayal of their trust that undoubtedly leaves them confused and terrified, and it’s every bit as egregiously cruel as it will be if it were a baby being harassed and antagonised,” Jason Baker of animal rights group Peta told news.com.au.
“Peta encourages animal guardians to make use of common sense, take into consideration these senseless social media stunts from the animal’s perspective, and all the time put their companion animal’s well-being first.”
But common sense appears to be on ice.
“That is an upsetting trend where you’ll be able to see the animals are visibly confused by the human’s behaviour in these videos,” Ryan Neile, head of behavior at UK pet charity Blue Cross said in a press release, as per The Independent.
“Pets should not toys to be exploited, humiliated or objectified for our own entertainment.”
The frosty fad comes hot on the heels of one other stomach-churning trend previously reported on by The Post, wherein pet owners filmed themselves spinning their cats, dogs — even rabbits — by the front legs like rag dolls.
“This puts unnecessary strain in your pet’s joints/muscles and may make them feel dizzy and nauseous, all for the sake of a number of views,” warned Jade, a registered veterinary nurse and popular TikTokker often called Jade The Vet Nurse last month. “Let’s be responsible pet owners and do away with this trend.”
Jade, who has three dogs and three tortoises of her own, didn’t mince words when she saw people hoisting their pets like circus props.
“You may cause [them] to feel really dizzy and nauseous,” she said. “I’ve literally seen people try to do that trend with large dogs, and I even have seen people drop their dogs, which might cause injury.”
The UK’s People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals echoed Jade’s concerns, warning that the spinning — and certain the ice baths too — could lead to lasting damage.
“Limping and stiffness might be brought on by several different conditions, essentially the most common being minor injuries and arthritis,” the group said.
“It will be important to take your dog to the vets even when their problem appears minor – some dogs are superb at hiding pain from their owner.”
In other words, stop using your pet as clickbait.
Because no amount of clout is price chilling — or spinning — your best friend right into a vet visit.
These influencers ought to be put within the doghouse.
A disturbing recent TikTok trend — where clueless owners dump buckets of ice water on their unsuspecting pups — is drawing widespread outrage from animal lovers, who’re barking mad over what they call a “cruel” and “appalling” stunt.
The so-called “#barkyourmindchallenge” is a twisted tackle the recently-revived ALS Ice Bucket Challenge that first soaked the web a decade ago, raising awareness for a neurodegenerative disease.
But as an alternative of chilling themselves for cause, some brain-frozen pet owners are drenching their dogs — all for the sake of a number of likes.
“Dousing an unsuspecting dog with water is an appalling betrayal of their trust that undoubtedly leaves them confused and terrified, and it’s every bit as egregiously cruel as it will be if it were a baby being harassed and antagonised,” Jason Baker of animal rights group Peta told news.com.au.
“Peta encourages animal guardians to make use of common sense, take into consideration these senseless social media stunts from the animal’s perspective, and all the time put their companion animal’s well-being first.”
But common sense appears to be on ice.
“That is an upsetting trend where you’ll be able to see the animals are visibly confused by the human’s behaviour in these videos,” Ryan Neile, head of behavior at UK pet charity Blue Cross said in a press release, as per The Independent.
“Pets should not toys to be exploited, humiliated or objectified for our own entertainment.”
The frosty fad comes hot on the heels of one other stomach-churning trend previously reported on by The Post, wherein pet owners filmed themselves spinning their cats, dogs — even rabbits — by the front legs like rag dolls.
“This puts unnecessary strain in your pet’s joints/muscles and may make them feel dizzy and nauseous, all for the sake of a number of views,” warned Jade, a registered veterinary nurse and popular TikTokker often called Jade The Vet Nurse last month. “Let’s be responsible pet owners and do away with this trend.”
Jade, who has three dogs and three tortoises of her own, didn’t mince words when she saw people hoisting their pets like circus props.
“You may cause [them] to feel really dizzy and nauseous,” she said. “I’ve literally seen people try to do that trend with large dogs, and I even have seen people drop their dogs, which might cause injury.”
The UK’s People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals echoed Jade’s concerns, warning that the spinning — and certain the ice baths too — could lead to lasting damage.
“Limping and stiffness might be brought on by several different conditions, essentially the most common being minor injuries and arthritis,” the group said.
“It will be important to take your dog to the vets even when their problem appears minor – some dogs are superb at hiding pain from their owner.”
In other words, stop using your pet as clickbait.
Because no amount of clout is price chilling — or spinning — your best friend right into a vet visit.
