Sarah Palin’s Facebook Photos Of Son Stepping On Dog Trigger Online Outrage

[big_dog]

Source: The Raw Story

Facebook photos posted by Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin showing her son Trig using the family dog as a step stool unleashed online fury on Friday reminiscent of the public reaction to the disclosure that Mitt Romney had once driven with his dog strapped on the car’s roof. Trig, 6, who has Down Syndrome, is shown stepping on the back of the family’s black Labrador while it lies on the kitchen floor in order to reach the sink. The dog appears unruffled.

The Facebook post by Palin, who was the Republican vice presidential nominee in 2008, drew more than 12,000 comments by midday Friday, ranging from cries of animal abuse to those seconding Palin’s praise for the youngest of her five children. “May 2015 see every stumbling block turned into a stepping stone on the path forward,” Palin wrote on her Facebook page. “Trig just reminded me. He, determined to help wash dishes with an oblivious mama not acknowledging his signs for ‘up!’, found me and a lazy dog blocking his way. He made his stepping stone,” Palin wrote.

The message earned 50,000 “likes” from some of Palin’s 4.5 million Facebook followers. But some online commentators were infuriated. “You want to run your state and the country, but you don’t have the sense to tell your children to stop stepping on your dog’s spine?” Kenneth Meador wrote. “Yes the dog could have moved but the greater lesson is he’s gonna get bit and hurt and the dog will get blamed instead of the child that is abusing the dog/ should a child ever be allowed to step on any animal ughhh,” posted Amy Payzant Steward.

Other followers were full of praise for both Palin and Trig. “Trig is a great problem solver … and to all you “haters” out there spewing your venom … this is a little boy with his dog who is doing nothing wrong! And Sarah ~ I enjoy your quote for the new year!!” commented Linda Conley Eltzroth Darling. The story of Romney having driven with the family’s Irish Setter on top of his car, inside a dog crate, was discovered by the Boston Globe in 2007 and recounted repeatedly during Romney’s failed 2012 Republican presidential bid. The dog incident occurred in 1983 when Romney was a rising star in the private equity world.



Read more: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/01/sarah-palins-facebook-photos-of-son-stepping-on-dog-trigger-online-outrage/

---

[madamesilverspurs]

1. Gah.

She probably doesn't realize that she just admitted to being oblivious.

Snrrk.

[Burf-_-]

2. Her face always reminds me of this scene...

[Grassy Knoll]

49. LOL! Awesome.

[MissDeeds]

3. Little twit could have broken the dog's ribs

I hope animal welfare sites come down hard on these imbeciles. That's just so wrong.

[big_dog]

4. what a train wreck of a family, that looks like it hurts the dog

[japple]

16. It is getting a huge reaction.

[MissDeeds]

18. Good

I hope the dog is removed from the Palin home and placed in a safe shelter. The Pailins should be brought up on dog endangerment charges. They have the photographic proof. Damn, things like this make my head explode.

[undiegrinder]

32. Proof? ... PROOF?

Dangit, there's PROOF that the whole Palin family are nothing but lowlife trash in the 90 minutes of police interviews recorded in the aftermath of their infamous brawl ... and STILL her views get airtime??

(If you've not heard it, it starts with her drunk and aggressive son, Track, making lots of noise but no sense as police try to interview him and Sarah can be hearding scolding: "Track, we need to get them on OUR side!&quot

There's been proof since '08 that she's nothing but an overly-ambitious ditz thanks to the Katie Couric interview ... there's proof that her hate-mongering against Obama in '08 caused a sharp uptick in the death threats against him ... there's evidence in her FEC disclosure forms for SarahPAC that she uses donated money for personal expenses ... too much proof to list ...

I don't know how she gets away with it but I'm just looking forward to the day she no longer can.

[George II]

5. That family gives white trash a bad name.

[big_dog]

7. cant animal control arrest or citation her for abuse?

[Snow Leopard]

61. Where is the

Abuse?

[treestar]

6. At least she admits to being "oblivious"

an odd moment of honesty from her.

[tanyev]

8. Yes, Sarah would find stepping on whoever is in your way inspirational.

And totally incapable of comprehending that most people would find it appalling. That must be some of her 'vibrant living'.

[1step]

9. Clueless In Wasilla

Will Julianne Moore reprise the role?

[big_dog]

17. looks like its time for Sarahcuda to go 'rogue' again

maybe she can go on the lamb to Argentina and never be heard from again

[Shrike47]

10. Typical Republican attitude about animals; they exist to be used and exploited.

[AngryDem001]

45. The look at human beings the same way.

[mimi85]

11. I'm still not convinced that

Trig is even her baby - I think he's Bristol's. Somebody def needs to contact animal control. Grrr....

She's lucky the dog didn't bite the kid! Animal control AND Child Protective Services.

[PearliePoo2]

63. "I'm still not convinced that Trig is even her baby"

And you would be correct in that assumption.

Also, Alaska SPCA HAS been notified. Here is their response:

Regarding the posts to our wall and messages about Sarah Palin's dog: The Alaska SPCA agrees that this type of behavior with an animal is unacceptable. Please know that the appropriate enforcement authorities have been notified. The location of the household falls under the jurisdiction of the Mat Su Animal Care and Regulation. You can register complaints there as well. [phone]

Here's their Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/AlaskaSPCA/posts/10152972692922838

Palin won't find the majority of comments being posted favorable at all.

[cosmicone]

12. Poor dog

It was animal abuse just to be living with the Palin family. Now this!

[Quackers]

13. I don't blame the kid

Kids try stupid things with animals all the time like ride them or step on them. It's the parents who need to use it as a teaching moment on why it's wrong to do this. Unfortunately, he has Palin as his mother.

[mimi85]

14. Exactly, it's not his fault at all.

[oberliner]

21. I would also point out that he has Down Syndrome

Which could impact his mental capabilities.

[OrwellwasRight]

59. All the more reason to set up clear rules that he might not think of himself.

Like "don't step on the dog, you might hurt it."

[japple]

15. I pity the child and the dog. Both are being neglected and misunderstood.

I read on an animal welfare site that this dog is a service animal for Trig, and would probably lay down his/her life for the child. I cannot believe that Trig's mother would post anything of this nature. Wasn't she the one who was always crying "liberals were always dissing my poor little child..." or something like that? I am sorry for her child and her dog. They are obviously not getting the attention they need and deserve.

[Habibi]

19. No time to get Trig off the poor dog

before he fell, or before the dog was injured. But time to take a few pics. Geez.

[oberliner]

20. Idiotic

Of all the things to be "outraged" by, this really should not be one of them.

[FourScore]

25. Exactly.

The dog looks perfectly capable of knocking the kid off and lumbering away.

[jberryhill]

28. But the poor helpless dog is trapped

...and obviously unable to communicate any displeasure.

[oberliner]

30. Couldn't the dog just move if it wanted to?

Pretty confident that the dog is ok.

[jberryhill]

44. Yes, I was being sarcastic

The dog seems utterly nonplussed in that sequence of pictures.

[Ms. Toad]

31. When parents don't teach their children to interact properly with animals,

eventually the animals snap and bite the children - and then the animals are often euthanized as dangerous.

Encouraging standing on dogs is not appropriate - and posting it as cute - (especially when you have a national audience) is not appropriate.

An estimated 800,000 Americans seek medical attention for dog bites each year, with over half of these injuries to children ages 5-9. Approximately 95% of those injuries occur when the parent is a few feet away from the interaction - but the parents are clueless as to the warning signs that a dog is losing patience and at risk for biting.

http://www.robinkbennett.com/2013/08/19/why-supervising-dogs-and-kids-doesnt-work/

[oberliner]

33. True

Not appropriate. But outrage?

[Ms. Toad]

36. Not necessarily outrage, but public commentary is appropriate

whenever anyone well known does something, positive or negative, that creates an opportunity for public education.

[jberryhill]

46. Trained service dogs are unlikely to bite

That dog has been with that disabled child for a while.

[Ms. Toad]

47. Service dogs do occasionally bite,

and when they do they generally have to be removed from the family - and many dogs who bite are euthanized, even if it is only a first bite.

Aside from which, the dog's training is as a "buddy," not physical laborer. While there are different expectations of service dogs, some of which include being used for physical support, even those trained to be weight bearing are not trained to be used as a stool. Two small feet putting the entire weight of the child on the spine or the ribs (both shown in the pictures) - or one, which bore his entire weight as he stepped up, is very different than the weight distribution service dogs and their owners are trained to use when a service dog is expected to bear a significant portion of the weight of the owner.

Teaching a child that it is acceptable to use a dog as a stool is dangerous, because even a service dog - and especially other dogs who may be treated in the same manner - may bite once they are pushed past their limits. This dog is not the only dog in the Palin family.

[jberryhill]

52. The dog will speak up long before that

My dog is constantly underfoot and has been accidentally stepped on several times. She's pretty quick to let you know she's there and move.

This dog is obviously not in any discomfort, and nobody gave two shits when Ellen Degeneres posted pretty much the same picture of a small child standing on a dog at a sink to brush her teeth.

Honestly, I can't understand the fascination with every damned thing this annoying woman does.

[Ms. Toad]

53. You obviously did not read the comments on Ellen Degeneres' facebook page -

they were similarly negative. Aside from which, she did not endorse the behavior in the image, and the child pictured was her own. In other words - she was slammed for posting a similar image (as she should have been), but her "sin" was not compounded by using it to endorse dangerously inappropriate behavior by a child she is responsible for educating.

As to what your dog tolerates - and how it communicates - you may be qualified to comment on that. But that does not make you qualified to comment on what any other dog tolerates or how other dogs will communicate when they have had enough. A substantial number of dog bites happen to young children because parents think their dog has the patience of Job, and will never snap when their cute little munchkin pulls its jowls, sticks a hand in its mouth, ears, or other orifice, or climbs or stands on it.

Even if you are correct that this particular dog won't snap, as a well trained service dog, a child who learns that this behavior is cute is at risk with every other dog it encounters.

My commentary would have been the same, regardless of who the adult involved was - but the fact that it posted on the facebook page of someone with a substantial following makes it an opportunity for education about appropriate (and inappropriate) behavior with dogs.

[Ms. Toad]

58. BTW - it is apparently NOT a trained service dog,

and was not placed by Puppy Jake with the Palins. Another example of either an outright lie, or stretching the truth beyond recognition from that famly.

Puppy Jake has placed one (1) dog as of yesterday, and it was not with the Palins.

Puppy Jake Foundation training team just got off the phone with the wounded military veteran and his support team that will enter placement camp in a few weeks. This will be PJF's second placement of a service dog.

https://www.facebook.com/PuppyJakeFoundation/photos/a.456602031079897.1073741825.447380938668673/787121078027989/?type=1&theater

They are formally silent on Palin's claims, and have deleted posts on their facebook page asking them to formally comment on whether they placed the dog (as Palin claimed), and - if they did - whether being used as a stool is appropriate treatment of a service animal they trained. Posters asking questions have been blocked from further posting.

Finally, the dog was clearly still a young puppy in May when Palin was photographed with it, making it very likely less than a year old. Typically a dog cannot be finally evaluated as having a suitable disposition to be a service dog until it is at least a year old - and training (which can begin before final certification) typically takes 18-24 months.

(Follow-up post since a comment in another thread by the ASPCA, condemning the photos, made me wonder if Puppy Jake Foundation had made a similar condemnation...and when I got to their site, it was clear Palin had been telling fibs.)

[PearliePoo2]

64. Ms. Toad

All of your posts are excellent!
Nice work.

[OrwellwasRight]

60. +1

That kid has not been taught to be thoughtful of animals. As he gets larger and heavier, his "cute antics" could become dangerous to the dog, and therefore dangerous to him.

[L0oniX]

37. Really? You're going to tell others what is outrage worthy? pffft

Some of us love animals.

[oberliner]

38. Just sharing my opinion

That's what goes on here.

[tabasco]

22. Poor kids

They never had a chance. They're going to turn out to be stupid trash just like their parents.

[undiegrinder]

23. Six years of Palin and I still can't tell ...

Can she REALLY be so incredibly stupid?

Or is it deeper and darker -- is she maybe SO narcissistic that she'll occasionally create controversies like this just so she can push back against them? (It IS pretty astounding what she's gotten/continues to get away with ...)

I mean, it kinda feels almost like she's DARING the world to tell her how awful she already knows she is.

A quasi-example of what I'm trying to describe: back when she was Mayor of Wasilla and she took $50,000 from some fund without any okays to redo her office (with red-flocked wall-paper!) ... ?

Shocked, the guy who mentored her into office, Nick Carney, told her it was not kosher and Palin replied, 'I'm the mayor, I can do whatever I want until the courts tell me I can't.'”

(“I’ll never forget it — it’s one of the few times in my life I’ve been speechless,” Carney added. A natural reaction from anyone burdened by ethics, a conscience, etc.)

I think when it's translated from Word Salad into English, "going rogue" apparently means "get away with."

Ugh ... whatever! ... dreadful woman ... shouldn't waste my time on her but it pisses me off that she wasn't debunked and forgotten long ago!

[jdenver_2624]

24. This image perfectly embodies the GOP's true feelings about the American people

And it's good to see that Palin is even more stupid and clueless than ever. I feel terrible for that poor dog. Hopefully it'll find a better owner sometime in the near future.

[big_dog]

26. it looks like that Sarah lets Trig do this all the time, I dont trust anything she says on Facebook

[randys1]

27. This is the Woman and family 40% of America would GLADLY put in the WH tomorrow

Please understand that 40% of this country is insane, act and think like children, and are a danger to all life on the planet.

[1step]

29. From 2008

[blkmusclmachine]

34. At least they didn't strap the dog to the car roof, Romney style.

Bow- OWWWW

[L0oniX]

35. Alerted on ...sad to say. 0-7 to LEAVE IT

[Reter]

43. Why would you alert the OP?

?

[L0oniX]

55. I wouldn't.

[TeamPooka]

39. Fuck that whole animal abusing family. nt

[m-lekktor]

40. her having 4.5 million facebook followers makes me sad.

there is no hope.

[samsingh]

41. she is an incredibly terrible parent and person

palin is nasty and stupid

[onehandle]

42. Once again, thank you John McCain.

This grifter will be a pox on America's public image for decades after you are gargling embalming fluid.

[img][/img]

[Arkana]

48. I don't blame the kid,

but Saint Sarah should have stopped him. The kid is old enough and big enough that he could have hurt that dog.

[Grassy Knoll]

50. If Sasha and Malia Did This ?????????

The Fox Noise Fuck-Ups would go BOOM!!!!

[FailureToCommunicate]

51. Meh. I'm no fan of Palin, but this is (was) standard fare on America's Funniest Videos time after

time.

[gopiscrap]

54. The poor dog should have gotten up and

bitten Caribou Barbee in the ass for being such a stupid shit!

[ustilago]

56. I was annoyed by this story when I first heard about it...

...and that's when I was imagining a smaller child and a larger dog. You get the impression from this picture that Palin doesn't bother disciplining her kids at all.

Somebody needs to slap the ever lovin' shit out of her.

[Odin2005]

57. The Palins are White Trash.

I know, I grew up around White Trash.

[candelista]

62. Nasty racist comment.

[adigal]

65. I adore animals, and have done dog rescue for 7 years, but this isn't abuse

If the dog minded, he would move. The dog looks like a lab. They are hardy, like draft horses. They are tough physically with a really solid temperment. Now, a boxer or greyhound would have jumped up, freaked out. Having said that, she should have gotten him off of the dog, instead of taking a picture, because is he steps on the wrong dog, he will get bitten. And then the dog will be euthanized through no fault of his own.

[question everything]

66. Oh for heavens sake

Kids always mistreat dogs. If the dog did not like it, he would have shaken him.

Putting dogs in all kinds of ridiculous customs is worse, In my opinion.

[yurbud]

67. when I saw the headline, I thought it would be one of her adult children intentionally abusing a dog

like Huckabee's kid.

This is more like C- parenting.