Twitch streamer and political commentator Hasan “HasanAbi” Piker is once again at the center of controversy after a short clip from one of his livestreams went viral, prompting allegations of animal cruelty and dividing the online community.
The footage, which circulated widely across a bunch of different social media and streaming platforms over the weekend, shows Hasan addressing his dog, Kaya, as she begins to step off her bed during a Just Chatting segment. Moments later, Kaya yelps audibly, prompting Hasan to exclaim, “Kaya, please just *expletive* go back! Just stop! Jesus Christ! What are you doing? You’re being such a baby!”
Critics allege that the yelp coincided with Hasan pressing a button on his desk, suggesting the use of a shock collar to keep Kaya in place. Supporters, however, insist that Kaya’s reaction was caused by her paw catching in the bedding, and that the device visible on her collar is merely an AirTag holder for tracking, not a shock receiver.
The debate has spiraled into a broader clash between content creator communities. H3 Podcast host Ethan Klein, a longtime critic of Hasan, was among the first to amplify the clip, labeling it “horrifying animal cruelty” and accusing Hasan of shocking Kaya “for one tiny step off of her bed.”
Meanwhile, xQc, another major Twitch figure, slowed the footage frame-by-frame on stream, estimating a “98% chance” that a shock collar was used but acknowledging he’d retract the claim if proven wrong. Streamer Tectone also joined the discussion, calling the video “beyond disgusting” and accusing Hasan of using Kaya “as a prop to seem more friendly.”
Others within the Twitch and Reddit communities have urged caution, arguing that the incident is being “manufactured outrage.” Commenters on r/PublicFreakout noted inconsistencies in the evidence, with one user writing, “You can see it’s an AirTag collar — people are jumping to conclusions because they already dislike him.”
HasanAbi has reportedly addressed the situation during a follow-up stream, claiming Kaya’s paw was caught and that no shock device was involved. As of this writing, no verifiable footage has surfaced showing the use of an actual shock collar or remote device.
Regardless, the incident shows vividly how quickly clips can spiral into viral controversy within the streamer ecosystem, particularly when long-standing rivalries and fan communities are involved. Whether the clip shows an act of cruelty or a misunderstood accident, the debate has already cemented itself as one of the week’s most polarizing moments in Twitch’s ever-volatile cultural landscape.
