YouTuber Brooke Houts apologises for hitting her dog in a video

8 August 2019, 14:14

By Rachel Finn

"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..."

A YouTuber named Brooke Houts is being called out for accidentally uploading a video that seems to show her abusing her puppy.

Brooke planned to upload a prank video which showed her dog, Sphinx, running into plastic wrap that she’d put over a door, but instead she claims she uploaded the raw, unedited footage of the video, which shows her yelling at, slapping and pushing Sphinx to the ground.

The video has since been removed and Brooke, who has over 300,000 subscribers on YouTube, has released a lengthy statement apologising for her behaviour.

"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 apologise to anyone who has been [affected] negatively by the footage...” she says.

“...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. 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.”

“Should I have gotten as angry as I did in the video? No. Should I have raised my voice and yelled at him? No,” she continues. "However, when my 75lb Doberman is jumping up in my face with his mouth open, I do, as a dog parent, have to show him that this behaviour is unacceptable. But I want to make it known, REGARDLESS of what my dog does, I should not have acted that way towards him.”

"I want to clarify that I am NOT a dog abuser or animal abuser in any way, shape, or form. Anyone who has witnessed or heard true animal abuse will be able to clearly see that. My dog, in no way, shape, or form was hurt by any action that I displayed in this video.”

She goes on to explain that her and her family are in the process of getting a trainer for Spinx as he’s been uncomfortable around other dogs since previously being attacked.

She adds: "Anyone who knows me personally knows I have an immense love for animals, including my own. I would never do anything to purposefully physically or mentally harm any animal. Again, I should NOT have yelled at him or have been as physically aggressive as I was, and I'm fully aware of that.”

"He was not hurt, nor has he ever been purposefully hurt by me. I know I'll be in many future situations where he's being physical, but I will not respond this way again."

According to The Verge, the Los Angeles Police Department is investigating the incident after being made aware of the video, writing in a statement: “Our Animal Cruelty Task Force has received numerous complaints about the video you’re speaking of and we are currently looking into the matter.”

How many subscribers has Brooke Houts lost since the video?

Obviously, the video hasn't been great for Brooke's subscriber count and she's been steadily losing subs since it was uploaded. According to Social Blade, since Sunday (4th August) Brooke has lost a total of 6,191 followers, bringing her total current subscriber count to 334,420.