YouTubers Nikki and Dan Phillippi are facing major backlash after they uploaded a 24-minute video revealing they had euthanized their nine-year-old bull terrier Bowser after he bit their one-year-old son, Logan – who tried to take food from him.
In the video, the YouTubers revealed that Bowser was previously attacked as a puppy – leading to an aggressive disposition towards others. Bowser’s traumatic past has allegedly resulted in him attacking several other dogs, including Nikki and Dan Phillippi’s other dog Zoe, who received stitches after the incidence:
“Bowser was attacked when he was a puppy, and we never really talked about that very much, but that was a big turning point in Bowser’s personality. Prior to the attack, Bowser could go to dog parks, Bowser was just calmer in general, and then after the attack it just triggered something in him…Ever since then, things really took a turn.”
After Bowser attacked their son, they reached out to the Humane Society, who suggested that rehoming Bowser was not an option due to his long history living with their family. This led Nikki and Dan to make the joint decision to put Bowser down.
Nikki and Dan recalled their final moments with Bowser after he passed away in their arms:
“It was the worst day (but) it was amazing because you know, everything comes to an end, and if you have to have an end, which everything does, it was a beautiful, perfect ending in our living room, in our arms…We were able to hug him and kiss him and hold him and thank him.”
It is unclear which Humane Society branch the couple reached out to but TODAY reported that the Humane Society of the United States has “no involvement with this case” and that the Nashville Humane Association had no records of Dan or Nikki contacting them
Things got worse – however – after Nikki posted multiple Instagram photos of Bowser and her son Logan taken right after the attack and just prior to euthanizing him.
Nikki Phillippi put her dog down because he bit her son, but first she had to have a photo shoot with the dog, which included her son that was bit. People are so heartless. There’s places that would’ve taken this dog and helped it.. pic.twitter.com/Zu7rT1bot8
— mickey (@_lunar__kitten_) May 4, 2021
The YouTube video immediately sparked outrage amongst fans and the influencer community – with many calling out Nikki and Dan for their actions and threatening to take legal action against the couple. Moreover, old videos featuring Nikki and Dan trying to provoke Bowser began to resurface – adding additional fuel to the fire.
This is so disturbing… pic.twitter.com/FU1LYvsmpO
— ᵗᵉᵃSpill (@TeaSpillYT) May 6, 2021
You’re telling me the dog was super chill about this but they painted him out to be this demon aggressive dog?! It doesn’t line up https://t.co/ueThQqB8PN pic.twitter.com/CyrNMDcmfX
— Spill Sesh (@spillseshYT) May 7, 2021
Jeffree Star, Jaclyn Hill and LaurDIY are among the influencers who took to Twitter to share their outrage and dismay over the incident:
For 3 days, this story of @NikkiPhillippi unnecessarily euthanizing her bull terrier has truly shaken me to the core and makes me SICK. Please hold them accountable for this cruel decision and know that there are OTHER OPTIONS. https://t.co/oCKN62VpdB
— lauren (@laurDIY) May 6, 2021
I have a very temperamental dog. He bites people when he feels nervous, unsafe or if you try to touch him when he doesn’t want to be… I know these things because im his OWNER. Therefore I make sure he’s not in situations where he will react… I don’t kill him!
— Jaclyn Hill (@Jaclynhill) May 6, 2021
It’s hard to fathom how someone could kill their own family dog and make content out of it… They need to be investigated. As a dog owner who’s animals are my LIFE, this is hard to wrap my head around.
— Jeffree Star (@JeffreeStar) May 6, 2021
The wide-spread criticism over their decision to euthanize Bowser has led Nikki and Dan to turn off their comments and likes on the YouTube video and to change their accounts to private on Instagram.