A TikTok star has faced a furious backlash from fans after she sent back a new puppy just seven days after collecting him from the airport and parading him to her 128,000 followers.
Sydney influencer Whitney Hanslow was blitzed by savage criticism after she returned Murphy the Cocker Spaniel when she decided she should couldn’t cope with him.
She told her 120,000 followers she didn’t expect the ‘mental load’ that came with having the puppy – and said she now wanted to focus instead on ‘prioritising’ herself.
Hanslow later deleted all her posts about 10-month-old Murphy after the brutal online feedback, and told followers that she would now be dealing with the matter privately.
But followers of the content creator say this is not the first time Hanslow has disposed of a dog shortly after introducing them on her social media.
Late last year, Hanslow began posting regular videos of another Cocker Spaniel called Winston which appeared in clips of Hanslow’s new apartment tour in May.
But by June he was dead. Shocked fans learned of his fate when Hanslow posted a tearful video of her collecting his ashes after she had him euthanised.
‘After the whole dog thing she officially disgusts me,’ posted one viewer.
Whitney Hanslow with her first dog Winston before he was euthanised
Hanslow admitted to sending the dog back to the breeder so she could prioritise herself
Hanslow posted daily to her Instagram chat named ‘Whits internal dialogue’
‘Putting her last dog to sleep due to separation anxiety is insane and now getting rid of her dog after [seven] days.
‘Honestly get off the internet and stop posting your life if you don’t want to get hate. I’m so disgusted and upset.
‘She’s adopted puppies, used them for content, receives free items and sponsored videos for it and then re-homes them.’
Hanslow revealed she was welcoming her new puppy on October 2, six months after Winston’s death,
‘Exciting News! Get ready for cuteness overload! Join me as I share the journey of prepping for and welcoming my new 10-month-old Cocker Spaniel puppy,’ she posted.
Two weeks later on October 18, she collected him from Sydney Airport, sharing two videos about the happy occasion and introducing him as ‘my son Murphy Rae Hanslow,’
But just seven days later, after the pooch knocked over some red cordial and chewed an ‘expensive cushion,’ she’d had enough and sent him back to the breeder.
‘She had the puppy flown interstate to be with her and a week later she wants to send it back,’ said another outraged follower on social media.
‘The irresponsibility, the arrogance – I’m astounded.”
‘She said the new puppy is frightened of everything and anxious,’ added another. ‘Cocker Spaniels are known for their anxiety and and attachment issues.’
Hanslow gave a tearful explanation of her need to ‘prioritise herself’ and said she never expected how much time she would have to take off work as a content creator.
Hanslow has moved on from puppy content and is back to posting about Matcha Tea, new clothes and baking
Hanslow provided a statement to Daily Mail stating that she will not apologise for putting her dogs first
‘I know I work from home but I just didn’t expect the mental load,’ she said at the time.
When furious fans started to question Hanslow’s motives, she deleted the video about her rehoming the pup, saying she wanted to ‘focus on the positives’.
Daily Mail Australia reached out to Cocker Spaniel Rescue Australia who confirmed they hadn’t placed either Murphy or Winston with Hanslow.
They said they were devastated by Winston’s passing and were never contacted about rehoming him prior to him being euthanised – something that they specialise in.
Hanslow defended putting Winston to sleep, saying it was taken on her vet’s advice.
‘Making the decision to put my beloved Winston to sleep, on the advice of our vet, was one of the most difficult decision I have had to make,’ she told Daily Mail Australia.
‘But I did it knowing it was the best decision for him.
‘Both decisions were heartbreaking but like any dog-lover, I have to put my dogs first and make no apologies for that.’
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Read more at DailyMail.co.uk