YouTube Star Accidentally Uploads Video of Herself Hitting, Spitting on and Yelling at Dog

YouTube star Brooke Houts has been denounced by her followers after she accidentally uploaded a concerning video, which shows her hitting, seemingly spitting on and yelling at her dog.

In the clip, which was shared on her channel on Tuesday and has sparked an investigation by the Los Angeles Police Department, Houts tells her subscribers that she’s trying to prank her pooch — a Doberman named Sphinx.

When the dog excitedly jumps into the frame, Houts grows visibly angry and reprimands Sphinx by slapping him on the head.

She continues to berate the dog in the clip by yelling, “Stop!” and shoves him to the ground. She then appears to spit on him.

More footage of the incident shows Houts pushing Sphinx and shouting, “Lay down!”

LAPD tells PEOPLE, “We are aware of the incident. Our Animal Cruelty Task Force has received numerous complaints about the video and we are currently looking into the matter.”

RELATED: WATCH: Man Arrested After Video Footage Captures Him Abandoning Dog on Side of Road

The video has since been removed from her channel. However, it was too late as viewers had already shared it on social media.

Houts later shared an edited version of the clip, but she later removed it after facing intense backlash.

“I’m so friggin disgusted. Brooke Houts abuses her dog for wanting affection. I am so angered by this,” one Twitter user wrote alongside the clip.

“I’m not gonna lie I’m ready to go get that doberman myself if that dog isn’t removed from Brooke Houts’ home. I’m not even kidding animals should never be hit or treated in that matter,” another Twitter user expressed.

i’m so friggin disgusted. brooke houts abuses her dog for wanting affection. i am so angered by this. pic.twitter.com/gAsL1OmXs2

— 𝐥𝐢𝐯 | GEE FOLLOWS| sitc (@MultiBehzadi) August 7, 2019

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

• Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

“Crazy woman. Dobermans are the sweetest dogs who deserve to be treated right, so I will gladly take your dog away from your abusive ass,” another tweet read.

As criticism continued to roll in, Houts offered an apology for her actions on Wednesday.

“Anything I say isn’t going to make those believe I’m a bad person stop believing that, and I’m aware of this. I apologize to anyone who has been effected negatively by the footage,” she wrote in a statement on Twitter.

Houts then went on to address the footage, explaining that leading up to the release of the video, “things in my outside life have been less than exceptional.”

RELATED: Heartbreaking Footage Shows Missing Dog Chasing After His Owner’s Car After Being Abandoned

“I am not going to play the ‘victim card’ or anything of that sort, but I do want to point out that I am rarely as upset as what was shown in the footage. The bubbly, happy-go-lucky Brooke that you often see in my videos is typically an accurate representation of me, but it’s obvious that I’m playing up my mood in this video when I’m clearly actually frustrated,” Houts continued, adding that she is not trying to “justify” her behavior.

She added, “Should I have gotten as angry as I did in the video? No. Should I have raised my voice and yelled at him? No. However, when my 75 lb. Doberman is jumping in my face with his mouth open, I do, as a dog parent, have to show him that this behavior is unacceptable.”

To everyone who has been commenting on my social media as of recently: pic.twitter.com/gnxUbfVHdf

— b (@brookehouts) August 7, 2019

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

“But I want to make it known, REGARDLESS of what my dog does, I should not have acted that way towards him,” she admitted.

“I want to clarify that I am NOT a dog abuser or animal abuser in any way, shape or form,” Houts wrote.

Houts added, “Anyone who has witnessed or heard true animal abuse will be able to clearly see that. My dog, in no way, shape, or form was hurt by any action that I displayed in this video.”

RELATED: Jenelle Evans and Husband David Eason Get Two New Dogs After Controversy Over Other Pet’s Death

“Again, I should NOT have yelled at him or have been as physically aggressive as I was, and I’m fully aware of that,” Houts said.

Houts went on to claim that she and her Doberman have a “loving relationship,” writing, “All he wants to do is be by my side, cuddle with me, and be around me, which I love.”

“My love for him is exponential and infinite, and I do everything I can in my day-to-day life to ensure that he is living as happily as he can. I’m sorry that my actions in that particular moment did not reflect that,” she added.

Houts ended the note by asking her fans to “give me the chance to prove these statements about myself do align with my actions.”