A Viral Clip Has Sparked Allegations of Animal Abuse Against Twitch Streamer
During a Twitch stream on October 7, 2025, political commentator Hasan Piker, known to millions online as HasanAbi, found himself in a storm of accusations after a clip featuring his dog Kaya went viral. It prompted a wave of online claims that he had used a shock collar.
The debate quickly escalated across social media. It divided viewers, drew reactions from other streamers, and even prompted a statement from PETA. Within days, Piker publicly responded and denied all allegations of animal abuse.
How The Controversy Started
The backlash began with a short clip from one of Piker’s regular livestreams. Kaya was lying nearby while he talked politics with viewers. When she started to get up, he told her to stay on her bed and sounded briefly irritated. A moment later, Kaya yelped and lay back down. That split-second sound spread fast once the footage reached Reddit and X.
Online users began analyzing the footage frame by frame and attempting to identify what caused Kaya’s reaction. Some pointed to a green blinking light on her collar as supposed proof of a shock device, while others insisted it looked like an Apple AirTag. A few critics claimed Piker might have pressed a button off-camera. The ambiguity of the footage—and Piker’s annoyed tone—made the short moment easy to misinterpret and difficult to verify.
Hasan Piker’s Response on Stream
Image via Wikimedia Commons/mo1567
Piker addressed the incident directly during the same broadcast. He responded with sarcasm and described himself as “incredibly abusive to the most spoiled dog on the planet” before explaining that Kaya’s yelp had nothing to do with a collar.
According to him, Kaya clipped her paw or hit something as she was getting off the bed, which caused the sound. He added that Kaya had broken her previous bed and might have stepped awkwardly or struck part of the frame.
Later, Piker reiterated that he gave her a “place” command while she moved and that her yelp coincided with that action. To prove his point, he eventually removed the collar on a later stream and showed viewers it was a vibration collar with an attached AirTag—devices that do not deliver shocks or cause pain.
PETA Issues a Statement
The debate eventually reached People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). PETA released a statement emphasizing its opposition to shock collars and calling them “dangerous and downright cruel.” The organization said such devices could cause burns, chronic anxiety, and aggressive behavior in dogs. PETA also urged pet owners to use positive reinforcement methods that build trust and avoid physical discomfort.
PETA acknowledged Piker’s denial of the allegations but urged transparency in how pets are treated, especially when public figures are involved. Their statement added legitimacy to the controversy, which had already moved far beyond Twitch circles. Although the group did not accuse Piker directly, their involvement kept the discussion alive as media outlets picked up the story and summarized the different sides of the debate.