Prominent Twitch streamer Hasan Piker has found himself at the centre of a growing controversy after a clip from his October 7 livestream went viral, showing his dog Kaya yelping as he scolded her for moving out of the camera frame. The moment has triggered widespread accusations of animal cruelty, with viewers alleging that Piker used a shock collar to keep the dog in place during broadcasts.Piker, who has over 3 million followers on Twitch, has denied the claims, stating that the collar Kaya wears is a vibration-only training collar with an AirTag attached. He claimed that Kaya let out the yelp after catching her dewclaw on the edge of her bed, not due to any electric stimulation.However, sceptics online remain unconvinced. Some users zoomed in on the livestream clip and pointed to what they claim was a green blinking light on the collar – suggesting it could be an electric shock device. They also resurfaced an older clip in which Piker once described a shock collar as “incredibly effective.”A now-viral post on X read: “Shock collaring that innocent dog for no reason just cause he wants to walk around? That’s not a prop for your stream background, that’s a living being. You’re a sick f***.”Another post said, “Wild how the most good faith interpretation of the Hasan thing is that he didn’t really use a shock collar on his dog, he just got weirdly angry at his dog for briefly stepping off of the little square he makes her sit on for 4+ hours while he livestreams.”Adding fuel to the controversy, a clip was widely circulated in which Piker is heard saying: “I don’t give a s*** if the dog is in pain and can’t breathe, it’s a dog.”Critics claim this undermines his defence and raises questions about his care for the animal.Some users have even called for official action. One user posted the number for LA’s department of animal Services, saying, “Is he shocking that dog to keep it on screen? This dude’s a f***ing psycho… I’m calling in the morning. You should too. (888) 452-7381.”The backlash has also drawn comments from other prominent streamers like xQc and Tectone, who expressed concern over the viral clip. Meanwhile, people for the ethical treatment of animals (PETA) issued a statement:“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. Positive reinforcement is a far more effective training method and doesn’t betray our animal companions’ trust in us,” reported The Hollywood Reporter. According to Grok’s summary of social media reaction, posts on the controversy have generated over 3 million engagements, indicating a deeply polarised response from Piker’s audience and the wider streaming community.
