Woman criticized for 'animal abuse' after 'incredibly irresponsible' stunt off cliff risked dog's life
A content creator has received backlash online over a video showing a woman doing a zip wire that almost risked the life of a nearby dog.
YouTuber Bashir Choucair shared a clip of the moment the woman jumped off a cliff and soared across a zip wire.
While this is a heart-stopping moment in itself, adding a sense of dread to the clip was the fact a dog ran across to the cliff edge with her.
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Barking at her, it appeared as if the pooch (who wasn't attached to anything) almost jumped off the cliff as well, with the woman narrowly missing its head as she soared over the edge.
The dog is presumed to be owned by the woman in the clip video in Lebanon.
Originally posted in January 2023, the video has since generated over 454,000,000 views on YouTube and is still doing the rounds on other social media platforms to this day.
And one post on X shared yesterday (January 28) suggested that the dog needed a new owner.
Echoing similar concerns, someone else wrote: "Not only could the dog jump off an injure themselves, the dog DID get very worried and upset to see their owner fly over the edge. Why do that to your dog, even if they were on leash?"
A second said: "F**K. I thought the dog would jump. I never got so scared for a dog."
A third fumed: "I am really surprised to see that no safety or the harness for the dog is really provided here.. Risking the dog’s life just for views??? Shameful it is seriously."
Meanwhile, dozens of others labelled the dog owner as 'irresponsible'.
In the wake of the backlash and animal cruelty concerns, YouTuber Bashir issued a lengthy comment on the matter.
He penned: "Firstly, I want to assure you that I do not own the dog in the video. The dog is a highly trained professional working with a skilled handler who prioritizes its safety and well-being.
"Also the stunt that was performed on the Zipline was carefully planned and executed in a controlled environment, with numerous safety precautions in place.
"Second, animal welfare is a matter close to my heart, and I would never condone any form of animal abuse or endangerment. The purpose of this video was to showcase the incredible talent and skills of both the woman and the dog, while ensuring the highest standards of care and safety were maintained."
Bashir went on: "I understand that the video may have raised concerns, and I APOLOGIZE if it caused any distress. I value your feedback and take it seriously. It is important to me that we have an open dialogue about responsible pet ownership and animal welfare.
"Please note that I love dogs more than myself and that the angle taken by the phone was a wide angle. It looks like the dog is at risk but actually not. Please be assured that the dog is in good health."
While Bashir insisted that the dog was 'highly trained', many still felt that the dog had been put in unnecessary danger.
Niamh Shackleton