Family vloggers Nikki and Dan Phillippi are sparking social media outrage after announcing their decision to euthanize their healthy 9-year-old bull terrier, Bowser.
In a video titled, “We have some really sad news,” the couple told Nikki’s 1.28 million YouTube subscribers that Bowser bit their 1-year-old son, Logan, in reaction to the young boy taking food from him. They added that their son has a “little mark” and that the injury “wasn’t bad.”
Dan added, “In the moment, I’m thinking I grew up with the movie ‘Old Yeller’ and I wanted to pick Bowser up by the back of the neck and take him to the backyard and put him down right there.” The couple also stated that Bowser had injured other dogs previously.
They then chose to euthanize Bowser at their home, claiming that the Humane Society told them rehoming was not an option. They shared a photoshoot from just before Bowser’s death to Instagram, featuring snaps of the dog with their son. Nikki’s page has since been set to private.
“We didn’t want to make this decision…as I’m sure you can imagine,” Nikki wrote in the caption of the photoshoot. “I’m not kidding when I say this was one of the saddest days of my life. That being said, I’m so grateful we got to hold him and kiss him in our home while he passed.”
The YouTube community was quick to condemn the Phillippis’ choice, with creators like Chris Klemens calling them “dog murderers.” Popular vlogger LaurDIY, who is a dog parent to her own bull terrier, reacted to Bowser’s death in a video titled “This Is CRUEL and NOT Okay: Nikki Phillippi.”
“There were nine years of opportunities to get help. You have the biggest platform. You have millions of followers. You’re rich. You’ve got money. You have access to any kind of trainer that you could possibly want or need to correct this behavior,” she said. “There is just no excuse for skipping all of the other steps that come before putting your dog down, and then having a photoshoot and making a video about it.”
Others criticized the couple for their pre-euthanasia photoshoot. TeaSpill, a popular drama channel, tweeted, “How sick do you have to be to take a photoshoot with your ‘dangerously aggressive’ dog knowing you’re about to end his life? Your dog is so aggressive but had no issues putting the baby next to it for a [cute] lil pre-murder photoshoot?”
How sick do you have to be to take a ✨photoshoot✨ with your “dangerously aggressive” dog knowing you’re about to end his life? Your dog is so aggressive but had no issues putting the baby next to it for a cure lil pre-murder photoshoot? pic.twitter.com/2jX9FfJywZ
— ᵗᵉᵃSpill (@TeaSpillYT) May 6, 2021
-By Katcy Stephan
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