An ITV journalist has sparked a debate after sharing a video of a dog in Manchester tied up in the rain, while the owner allegedly went shopping.
Good Morning Britain correspondent Pip Tomson tweeted a short video of a dog tied up in heavy rain, and tagged in actor and animal activist Ricky Gervais.
In the post she wrote: “Do me a favour and don’t ever leave your dog tied up. And definitely not in this pouring, heavy rain.
“Found this boy drenched and shivering in Manchester. Thought he’d been abandoned. Idiot owner turned up and vomited abuse for caring. Well, thank god some of us do.”
The video appeared to show a wet dog standing in the rain, attached to a post or railing by a chain, with the owner allegedly ‘shopping in Selfridges’, according to Ms Tomson.
The post quickly racked up nearly 2,000 likes and 130 Retweets, sparking a debate in the comments section amongst dog owners as to whether it was cruel to leave the dog outside or not.
One person commented: “I wonder if the owner would be happy to be tied up and left out in the pouring rain.”
“Poor baby! I don’t understand why some people have dogs- they should be kept and treated with respect and care, not like a belonging you can tie up somewhere.” Another said.
A third added: People like that shouldn’t be allowed a dog! Probably take the poor thing out in the middle of the day during the summer too.”
Others instead took greater issue with the fact the dog was left alone, especially due to the recent increase in dog theft.
A user opined: “I’ve said for years it should be made illegal. The amount of posts I’ve seen over and over again about missing dogs taken from outside a shop that owners ‘were only in for a minute.’
“If you’re walking your dog, you’re walking your dog. If you’re going shopping, the two shouldn’t cross over.”
Another suggested drastic action to make owners understand the dangers of leaving a dog unattended: “I’m tempted at times to take the dog and hide around the corner so I can lambast the owners and tell them how easy it is to steal their dogs!”
One user, however, argued that: “It’s natural and normal for dogs to be out in the rain. The concept people have in their heads that dogs can’t go for walks in the rain is silly.
“Yes it depends on the dog breed but nine times out of 10 the dog will be fine.”
Another added: “Er, dogs have fur coats, what is the problem? Ever seen what wild dogs and wolves have to cope with? Huskies are left outside in North Canada?”
A third said: “You are a bit overreacting here. I love dogs and always had one but many stores/shops don’t allow dogs inside, so you have to leave them outside for a couple of minutes. No big deal.”
However, Ms Tomson responded to those claims by posting a picture of her own dogs sheltering from the rain after being caught in a summer downpour, arguing that dogs wouldn’t naturally choose to stay exposed to the elements.
Another argument was that greater context was needed for the video, as information such as the length of time the dog had been left was an unknown factor.
A user pointed out: “Looks healthy and well behaved, perhaps it's a one-off from its owner, you don’t know the context.”
Another person commented: “I own two dogs that love the rain! Wouldn’t tie them up outside, but they love going out getting wet and muddy.”
A third shared her own experience of leaving her dog unattended, explaining that she tried to do it as safely as possible.
“I have had to leave mine briefly while I’ve run into a shop but luckily for me there’s a pub beer garden next to my local shop so I just let them know that he’s there.” She said.
Two days later, Pip Tomson Retweeted her original post, with the caption: “This appears to have stoked up a debate. I know some dogs thrive in all weathers. Not this one. Better to incur the wrath of a fellow human than ignore a miserable dog.”
Do you think you should leave a dog outside unattended? Let us know in the comments.
