A warning has been issued over a disturbing online trend in which people perform ice bucket challenges involving their dogs.
The clips, which have been viewed millions of times on TikTok, is a cruel twist on the viral online challenge created in 2014 to raise awareness of the motor neurone disease ALS.
That trend saw millions of people worldwide douse themselves in icy water and challenge others to follow suit in a bid to raise awareness and funding for ALS, which degrades nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, leading to difficulty walking, talking, eating and breathing.
A decade on, instead of dousing themselves in icy water, some people have instead decided to subject their unsuspecting pet dogs to the same treatment.
Animal welfare charities have condemned the “egregiously cruel” trend, and urged people to report accounts posting such clips for animal abuse.
“Dousing an unsuspecting dog with water is an appalling betrayal of their trust that undoubtedly leaves them confused and terrified, and it’s every bit as egregiously cruel as it would be if it were a child being harassed and antagonised,” Jason Baker of the charity Peta told Australian outlet news.com.au.
“Peta encourages animal guardians to use common sense, think about these senseless social media stunts from the animal’s perspective, and always put their companion animal’s well-being first.”
The alarming trend appears to have developed in recent weeks after the University of South Carolina decided to resurrect the ice bucket challenge in order to support the mental health organisation Active Minds, using the hashtag #speakyourmindchallenge.
However, some social media users decided instead to subject their dogs to the challenge, using the hashtag #barkyourmindchallenge.
The latter iteration of the trend, however, has seen widespread condemnation on TikTok, with many users criticising those posting videos for mistreating their pets.
Ryan Neile, head of behaviour at the UK pet charity Blue Cross added: “This is an upsetting trend where you can see the animals are visibly confused by the human’s behaviour in these videos.
“Dogs don’t understand what is happening and we abuse their trust in us when we treat animals in this way.
“We’re concerned that some people continue to use their pets as props to get more likes on their social media without thought for the shock and fear they are causing to the animal. We’re also worried that others will follow this trend, putting animals across the country at risk.
“Pets are not toys to be exploited, humiliated or objectified for our own entertainment, and videos like this can lead to others following suit with dogs and cause serious behavioural issues.”
