Threats after vodka puppy prank picture goes viral

A picture of a man pouring vodka down a puppy’s throat surfaced online on Monday night, horrifying animal rights groups.

The man in the picture, Alex Barker, insisted the photograph is a misunderstanding. The photo went viral after Barker posted it on his Facebook page.

He said the puppy had been dragging the capped bottle around the room, which Barker and his friend found funny. They decided to take pictures posing with the dog and post them online as a joke. Barker realised the photograph had been taken out of context and upset people as he started receiving threats online.
He later posted an apologetic response online that said, “the puppy was playing with the tops of the bottles and chewing them so it just seemed like a photo for a laugh or two, that is of course not the case.”

A concerned man who had seen the picture online notified the police on Monday, but has since closed the case as no harm was caused to the dog. However, York Regional Police department have opened a case investigating the threats made against Barker.