When popular Tiktokker Madison Barbosa posted a three-minute TikTok video expressing the difficulties of raising toddlers and caring for three dogs simultaneously, she never expected the backlash it would receive.
Barbosa explained that she and her husband adopted two Australian shepherds and one Alapaha blue blood bulldog before they decided to start a family. According to Barbosa, the balance between two children and three pets is “so overstimulating.”
The Video
Although the young mother still loves her pets, she admits that sometimes, she gets tired of them. She said, “And I know you’re thinking, ‘Why did you get dogs if they were just gonna be replaced with your children?’ Do you think that I thought this was gonna happen? Of course, I didn’t. My dogs were my everything before I had kids.”
Anticipating mixed responses in her comment section, she added, “For anyone that’s like, ‘I love my dogs. I love them as much as my children; they’re part of our family,’ If there was a house fire, and you only had time to grab your kids or your dogs, who you grabbing? I’ll leave it at that.”
Negative Comments
The video recieved so many negative comments that Barbosa decided to disable the comments and revisit the topic. In a follow-up TikTok, Barbosa shared that she wasn’t going to delete the original video because she stood by what she said.
“I stand by the video. I think it’s f****** funny, and if you don’t, then that’s on you,” she said in her follow-up video. “The comments are turned off because there are keyboard warriors out there, true psychopaths with mental issues, wishing death upon my children, and that’s something I don’t stand for.”
Her Priorities
During an interview with PEOPLE, she said she prioritizes her kids over her pets. “At the end of the day, my children are my world, and my pets are a part of it. Honestly, if a pet owner can’t recognize the heartbreaking yet true fact that our day-to-day tasks and responsibilities lighten when our animals have ran their little race here on earth, I’m concerned about the level of care you’re giving your animals,” she said.
She explained that based on the dogs’ ages, her family is “only halfway” through canine care. She said, “You don’t need to call PETA or anything, okay? My dogs are taken care of. I’m just f****** complaining.”
Clarification
During her interview with PEOPLE, she clarified that she does not condone animal abuse and loves her pets very much. “I will spoil them rotten until their last breath, but it absolutely is a lot of work!” she stated.
Lastly, Barbosa asked critics to rewatch the original video. “I specifically say I am not dreaming of their death. I am simply recognizing that this is a s***load of work. And yeah, I signed up for it, which is why I’m doing it to my best f****** capability,” she said. “I am literally just recognizing the fact that when [the dogs] are no longer here on Earth, my day-to-day tasks, my daily responsibilities, is going to significantly lighten.”
