Palin defends photos of son standing on family dog, PETA responds

Former vice presidential candidate and right-wing pundit Sarah Palin is feuding with PETA over criticism of photos she posted on social media of her son standing on the family dog.

Palin, on social media on New Year's Day, posted photos of her 6-year-old son using the dog as a "stepping stone" instead of a "stumbling block." 

There was a backlash, including from PETA, which in a statement said, "It's odd that anyone — let alone a mother — would find it appropriate to post such a thing, with no apparent sympathy for the dog in the photo.

"Then again, PETA, along with everyone else, is used to the hard-hearted, seeming obliviousness of this bizarrely callous woman, who actually thought it appropriate to be filmed while turkeys were being slaughtered right behind her in full view of the camera."

Palin responded with a statement on Facebook: "Dear PETA, Chill. At least Trig didn't eat the dog." This was in reference to Barack Obama, who said he ate dog as a child living in Indonesia.

Palin also stated, "Hey, by the way, remember your 'Woman of the Year,' Ellen DeGeneres? Did you get all wee-wee'd up when she posted this sweet picture?" She was referring to a photograph on DeGeneres' Twitter account that showed a child standing on a dog to reach a sink, like the photograph of Palin's son.

The former Alaska governor said her family's pets are "loved, spoiled and cared for more than some people care for their fellow man whose politics may not mesh with nonsensical liberally failed ways or don't fit your flighty standards." 

PETA rallied, sending back a message: "PETA simply believes that people shouldn’t step on dogs, and judging by the reaction that we’ve seen to Sarah Palin’s Instagram photo, we’re far from alone in that belief. Palin’s Facebook response shows us that she knows PETA about as well as she knows geography. Yes, we campaign against the Iditarod because when the dogs aren’t being driven — sometimes to death — most live chained or inside cages for their entire lives. And we’re a vegan organization, so we sit on pleather couches, wear stylish vegan kicks, and consider fish friends, not food. (Also, by the way, we just sent a case of vegan caviar to Vladimir Putin — and no, you can’t see his house from yours, Ms. Palin.) We have no reason to believe that the Palin companion animals aren’t ordinarily pampered, and we wish the entire family a peaceful and humane 2015."

The Palin's family dog is named "Jill Hadassah." Palin said the family adopted the dog for son Trig, who has Down Syndrome.