What Derick Dillard thought would be a fun sledding outing with family and friends has turned into a media storm — an icy storm, at that. Children and adults are seen in an Instagram video in which a lone cat appears, then sits. The Instagram video link to click on and see what you think is: https://instagram.com/p/zrE6hfmCSv/?modal=true
Derick is seen positioning himself directly in the cat’s path when he is getting ready to sled down a hill with family and friends cheering him on. Dillard says “move cat,” after his sled is pushed. He appears to hit the tabby directly in his path, and the cat scampers away. People are heard laughing afterwards. Derick shared the video on his Instagram account with the caption, “Sledding with friends and family at the Duggar home #smallestsled,” according to Fox 411 News .
The camera person hollers to the individual pushing Dillard’s sled, saying “push him, push him, push him,” despite the cat visibly sitting in the sled’s path. ET Online notes that the individual pushing his sled appears to be brother-in-law Ben Seewald .
His wife, Jill Duggar Dillard, who he married last June, is not shown in the video. She may not have been present, being 35-weeks pregnant.
Most comments have not been favorable , to put it mildly. Some examples users wrote are as follows.
“Disgusting. I’m sure if that was your pet you wouldn’t tolerate that. Completely unacceptable from a ‘Christian’ family”
“First sign of a psychopath is hurting animals. Better be careful with that baby… what happened to loving all of God’s creatures… There is a special place in h**l for people who abuse animals!”
And these are just some of the printable comments. Although some people defend Derrick, the comments against his action mount and seem to be in the majority. The supporters on his Instagram post seem to be in the minority.
“Calm down there [sic] not lighting the cat on fire you guys are being dramatic he probably did not even mean to do it!!!!”
As reported in the Inquisitr, Jill Duggar Dillard is almost due to deliver their baby, and the show, 19 Kids and Counting , is following their journey . They recently met with a midwife and are busy preparing for Baby Dilly in their large, modern, beautiful home.
Do you think that 19 Kids and Counting star Derick Dillard committed animal abuse by what occurred in the video? Do you think that the 25-year-old intentionally hit the cat with his sled? If so, what do you think should be done?
[Photo Courtesy Instagram via Fox News]