Brooke Houts had an active YouTube career as she had managed to successfully build a massive following for her vlog.
However, a recent incident seems to have taken her work entirely apart, after she accidentally uploaded a video that showed her abusing her dog in some harsh ways.
She could be seen hitting the animal and shouting at it, and it is not clear how the video made it to her account in the first place.
Reports indicate that the LAPD is now investigating the situation, and many people have additionally called for YouTube to take down her account.
The video was reportedly seen by more than half a million people, despite the fact that Houts quickly took it down and replaced it with a video in which she allegedly pulls a prank on her dog.
The animal rights organization, PETA, has also joined in the backlash, calling for the woman to be taken down from YouTube.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B063f9CBq03/
Houts posted a public statement in which she claimed that she was not a bad person, and said that she was having a bad day and that was the reason for her abusive behavior.
She went on to state that this was a rare incident for her. Many have accused her of trying to play the victim when she was obviously the abuser in this case, and her apology seems to have drawn even more negative attention to her situation than before.
Here is the controversial apology: “Anything I say isn’t going to make those who believe I’m a bad person stop believing that, and I’m aware of this. I apologize to anyone who has been effected (sic) negatively by the footage. First off, I want to address the uncut footage. On the day in particular that the video was filmed, and actually this past week, things in my outside life have been less than exceptional.”
She continued with: “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. ”
To everyone who has been commenting on my social media as of recently: pic.twitter.com/gnxUbfVHdf
— Brooke Houts (@brookehouts) August 7, 2019
Thank you to everyone who’s being kind and understanding. I really appreciate it ?
— Brooke Houts (@brookehouts) August 7, 2019
Some people online are suggesting that the backlash is overblown in light of the serious challenges that this country is facing.
One person stated: “I hate how people are like “There’s mass shootings happening and the planets dying, and you’re worried about a dog?” Like yeah I’m worried about all of that, but I can’t change the gun laws, and I can’t fix the planet in seconds, but I know I can put an animal abuser behind bars, so that’s what I’m going to do.”
A critic of that theory replied: “Shit I care about the mass shootings & climate change strongly but doesn’t mean I can’t care about an innocent dog either, I can care about more than 2 things at once. ?”
Another animal lover went in the same direction: “Just because there are mass shootings and other issues doesn’t mean animals don’t deserve to be treated right and have a good home. Also, PETA be like. ???”
YouTube has not made a statement on the situation so far.
