YouTuber Brooke Houts can reportedly keep her dog for now because police don’t think the Doberman is in any immediate danger.
The 20-year-old sparked horrified backlash this week after accidentally uploading distressing footage of herself smacking Sphinx and appearing to spit on him.
She can maintain custody of her dog for now during the Los Angeles Police Department’s animal cruelty task force investigation, TMZ claimed.
The video of her ‘abusing’ Sphinx doesn’t have enough proof that the pooch is in danger under Brooke’s care, which is why he hasn’t been taken from her home, according to the site.
If investigators determine that Houts did abuse her pup then the LAPD could reportedly take him away from her.
Metro.co.uk has contacted a rep for Brooke for comment.
Brooke mistakenly uploaded footage of the ‘abuse’ on her vlog, before taking it out and reuploading it.
In the clip, which went viral on Twitter, she appears to smack Sphinx, before shouting ‘No!’
When he jumps up at her, she appears to pin him on the floor and spit on him and later pushes the pooch out of the way with both hands.
While Brooke insisted she’s ‘not a dog abuser’ in response to the backlash, and claimed Sphinx was not hurt by her actions.
Following the shocking clip, the likes of Logan Paul, Anne-Marie, and Jameela Jamil have slammed Brooke.
Logan described the video as ‘remarkably grotesque’ while Jameela urged: ‘Put this cretin in jail.’
Singer Anne-Marie went on to add: ‘Why the f*** would she upload this. What a t**t,’ with YouTube star Ethan Klein offering to buy the dog ‘for any price’ to give him a new home.
Meanwhile, animal charities have responded to the video, with PETA demanding for Brooke’s YouTube channel to be removed.
‘DOGS DESERVE RESPECT. IF YOU CAN’T TREAT DOGS WITH KINDNESS AND INSTEAD HIT THEM, DON’T GET ONE. ATTN @YouTube: Please remove Brooke Houts from your platform,’ they tweeted.
An RSPCA spokesperson added to Metro.co.uk in a statement: ‘This is a totally unacceptable way to treat a dog and the video is upsetting to watch.
‘As this happened in the US and we only cover England and Wales this is a matter for our colleagues at the LAPD and we understand they are already looking into it.’
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