Sarah Palin Amidst Dog Controversy!

The former Alaska governor, Sarah Palin, is at the center of another controversy!

The former GOP Vice-Presidential candidate  drew a lot of outrage over her New Year’s Day Facebook post that shows her 6-year-old son Trig standing atop their family dog, a black Labrador.

The 50-year-old politician is being slammed on social media when she praised her son, who has Down syndrome for using the “lazy dog” as “stepping stone” to reach the kitchen counter. While the post was meant to encourage Trig for his inventive way, Palin’s Facebook followers immediately accused the mother of five of animal cruelty and abuse. 24 hours after posting, Palin’s post received over 7,500 shares and 14,500 comments, but she is yet to respond to the unexpected social media backlash.

This latest controversial post isn’t the first time for Sarah Palin. Her family was involved in “now-infamous” brawl in September 2014, at a snowmobile party. Palin’s children Track, 25, and Bristol, 24, got physically involved in a drunken fight. Her daughter, Bristol reportedly punched a man several times. Despite the bloody altercation, Palin defended her daughter’s actions in a Facebook post. She wrote that she loved Bristol and was proud that her straight-shooter is one of the strongest young women. The proud mama also wrote “right up there with their work ethic and heart for those less fortunate, my kids’ defense of family makes my heart soar!”

Many Facebook commenters were angry and asked Palin to teach her son not to stand on the dog. Facebook followers and even pro-Palin users expressed their disappointment. A user wrote that just because her son has a disability, Palin should not make it an excuse for not teaching them respect and compassion for animals. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Animal rights group Friends of Animals condemned Palin’s post.