The viral controversy surrounding Hasan and his dog, Kaya, has gotten so big that even PETA has weighed in on it.
Prominent Twitch streamer and political commentator Hasan Piker is at the center of a viral scandal that first started after his dog, a Tibetan Mastiff, Chow Chow and St. Bernard mix, yelped during an October 7 broadcast.
In the stream, Hasan appeared to be visibly annoyed with Kaya and urged her to return to her doggy bed, which can be seen in view of the camera. As she stepped back onto the bed, she yelped, seemingly in response to something painful.
“Jesus Christ, what are you doing?” an exasperated Hasan asked. “You’re being such a baby. ‘You’re making her stressed?’ She literally is so incredibly spoiled from my mom.”
The incident sparked rumors that Kaya was wearing a shock collar, with some speculating that Hasan used the shock function to keep the pup on-camera as an incentive for viewers.
PETA weighs in on Hasan Piker dog collar controversy
The stream has taken over social media for the last few days, to the point where it even caught the attention of animal advocacy group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA).
PETA spoke out on the situation in a statement to the Hollywood reporter, where the org stressed the potential dangers of shock collar training and suggested using ‘positive reinforcement, instead.
“Hasan Piker has denied using a shock collar on his dog, and we hope that’s true because shock collars are dangerous and downright cruel. They put dogs at risk of burn wounds, chronic anxiety, and displaced aggression,” they told the outlet.
“Positive reinforcement is a far more effective training method and doesn’t betray our animal companions’ trust in us.”
Internet divided after Hasan Piker shows dog collar on stream
‘Collargate,’ as it has been nicknamed on social media, is the latest hot topic swirling online, earning backlash from both viewers and other streamers.
Broadcasters like Tectone and xQc chimed in, with the latter putting up a whopping $500,000 donation to an LA animal shelter if Hasan would show the collar on stream.
Hasan did just that in a subsequent broadcast, claiming that the collar Kaya was wearing has a vibrate function, a flashlight, an AirTag, and an alarm in the event she gets lost.
He also explained that Kaya is currently undergoing ‘place’ training, in which dogs are trained to stay in a specific spot until released, helping them with impulse control and giving them a sense of safety.
“I gave her the place command while she was getting off [the bed], and then she yelped,” he claimed. “…I assume she either stepped funny or clipped her foot on something.”
Many viewers weren’t convinced by Hasan’s explanation of events in his follow-up stream, with xQc urging him to wear the collar himself to prove it doesn’t have a ‘shock’ function. He did follow through on his promise to donate to an animal shelter, though.
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