A dad has sparked a lengthy debate on social media after he was spotted carrying his large dog instead of his son while walking down the road.
In the viral video shared by Luz Elena on TikTok, the father can be seen holding the family dog in one arm while his young son was walking next to him.
A woman can also be seen walking behind them and pushing a stroller, which has a large box in the seat.
Luz captioned the video: “When your priority is your dog, not the child.”
The video has been viewed more than 4.7 million times and received 500,000 likes, with many questioning the father’s decision to carry his dog instead of his son.
Some praised the dad for letting his son walk while prioritizing the dog, with one writing: “Good dad. Giving his son good clean exercise, even holding his hand, while also keeping his dog safe.”
Another said: “This is actually super sweet. The pavement is probably way to hot for the dogs paws so he is carrying him.”
A third said: “No one mentioned the mom in the back with the push trike. The kid is walking because mom put something in the trike. Maybe dog is sick?”
Someone else said: “Good call from dad. the kid has shoes on, dogs paws can’t get burned now.”
Dogs paw pads can burn if they are walked on very hot pavements, and owners can check if the ground is too hot by placing their hand on it for five seconds.
Signs of burnt paw pads include refusing to walk, limping, chewing or licking their feet, darkening of the paw pad, or missing parts.
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