The internet has been great for pet owners and animal lovers everywhere. Go on social media and you can find endless amount of photos and videos of cute and unique pets.
The downside to this, however, is that sometimes online personalities exploit their pets for fame — even if it means putting them in harm’s way.
Like one YouTuber, who has recently received widespread backlash after a stunt in which he tied his pet dog to balloons to make him “fly.”
Gaurav Sharma is a 32-year-old YouTuber from Delhi, India, who has over 4 million subscribers on his channel.
But a recent stunt has embroiled him in controversy: he tied his dog Dollar, a toy Pomeranian, to hydrogen balloons, then releasing him to float into the air.
The helpless dog floats to the second story of the building as Sharma and a friend cheer.
But the YouTuber received quick backlash for the stunt. According to BBC, he soon removed it from his page, and in a follow-up video he apologized, but insisted he followed “all safety measures.”
He also said that he was influenced by other YouTube stunts, but urged people not to follow his example. He said he loves his dog and treats it “like a child.”
That wasn’t enough to satisfy people concerned for the dog’s safety — and members of the group People For Animals filed a complaint against Sharma, saying that he put the dog’s life at risk.
The complaint led to his arrest. “We registered an FIR under sections of the Disaster Management Act and Prevention to Cruelty to Animals Act,” said DCP Atul Kumar Thakur, according to the Indian Express.
He said that Sharma has been released on bail.
What a bizarre incident. It’s never worth putting your pet’s life at risk just for internet fame. Hopefully the backlash discourages people from trying to do something like this!
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