STAGING “GRIEVING ROTTWEILLER” VIDEO
The more I dig into Brett Bennett’s history with his Rottweilers the more disturbing things I find.
I first heard about Bennett a couple of weeks ago when his “Grieving Rottweiler” video went viral (over 4 million views and counting). Like many people I was touched by the video of his Rottweiler Brutus looking extremely sad while laying down next to Hank, his other Rottweiler who had just died.
Bennett pretended his dogs were therapy dogs at Seattle Children’s Hospital to stage this video. Image from Seattle DogSpot.
However, a woman named Anne Fromm that Bennett makes the videos to attract viewers and make money
After looking around on the internet I found several fundraising pages for Bennett, including one posted coincidently after Hank died asking people to donate $100,000 to help his “Grieving Rottweiler” buy a new home.
I also found this fundraiser from early January: “Help Hank and Brutus Raise Money for a New Home” which raised over $6000.
To explain why he needed another $100,000 in addition to the $6000 strangers had already given him, Bennett said, “We have succeeded in our goal, but have been approached by animal lovers from around the world to reach for the stars and to ask for donations to not rent, but to own a home.”
Bennett closed the $100,000 fundraising page soon after people started questioning it. It also wasn’t raising much money. “Animal lovers from around the world” only donated $600 in 5 days.
MORE STAGED VIDEOS FOR CASH
Then I found his staged video at Seattle Children’s Hospital portraying Brutus and Hank as therapy dogs at Seattle Children’s Hospital. Turns out his dogs weren’t in the therapy dogs at the hospital, and he had been kicked out twice for trying to take them inside.
My latest discovery are videos of his dogs in confrontations with other dogs. Bennett makes them for no apparent reason other than generating traffic on his YouTube channel, where he gets the majority of his income.
Sometimes his dogs are perfectly fine. Other times one or both of them fly into a rage and try to attack the other dog, or the other dog tries to attack his dogs. After he pulls the dogs apart, he usually tries to introduce them a few more times, which causes more snarling, lunging confrontations.
A video he calls “PIT BULL VS.ROTTWEILER FIGHT!” which generated over 9 million views on YouTube.
Anyone with even a rudimentary knowledge of dog behavior can tell these dogs are going to go at it. Within seconds of meeting, the dogs begin staring at each other. The pit bull’s tail stops wagging and stands straight up.
This confrontation could have ended in disaster. The pit bull’s owner fell down and almost let go of its leash. Image from Seattle DogSpot.
Then, after they stare at each other for more than 1o seconds, both dogs try to attack.
GOADING DOGS TO FIGHT
I asked Danette Johnston, a Certified Professional Dog Trainer (CPDT-KA) and owner of Dog’s Day Out Seattle to watch the video and share her thoughts about it.
She said Bennett handles the meeting in the exact opposite manner she instructs people to conduct a meeting between dogs.
Specifically, she said that a dog is showing dominance when it stares down another dog.
When 2 dogs are staring at each other an neither one breaks the stare, a confrontation will occur. That’s why she pulls dogs apart if they stare at each other “for more than a second.”
In the first confrontation, the dogs stare at each other for about 12 seconds before they attack.
After they pull the dogs apart, Bennett again brings one of his dog up in the pit bull’s face.
They lunge at each other again. The pit bull pulls its owner to the ground and she almost drops the leash.
If the pit bull had pulled free and attacked or bitten Bennett’s dog, there’s a good chance the pit bull would be turned into a shelter for being a dangerous dog and put down just because Bennett wanted to make a few bucks on a video of dogs snarling at each other.
Here are some of his other videos of staged confrontations. He must come up with these lovely titles to entice people who want to see dog fights:
These staged confrontations are dangerous, and I hope he stops them before a dog or person is hurt.
Thank you for sharing. So sad. I also looked at his FB page. Wonder where those 3 pekingese he had are?? Hopefully with this exposure he will stop.
None of the dogs are safe. Shortly after he has a public rage, dogs die. Hes already had THREE dogs die in his care, the Rottie, one that was allegedly crushed by a rottie and one he says committed suicide who was actually ran over due to not being on a leash. Now he has one Rottie and three little dogs left.
He’s holding his dogs exactly the same as the dog fighters do, to start some blood lust before they release them for the fight
Brett is reallt so far gone mentally. He thinks this is funny, as he is laughing his way to the bank. He also has a video where he entices one dog to repeatedly attack the “baby”. That baby being a toy doll. One day the dog will go after the baby, and it will not be a toy. Again, he is heard laughing throughout the video. Brett also has his supporters threatening Anne and anyone who has called him out. Anything seen is to be reported to youtube and if any threats are made, report to polIce as such. How he still easily fools peopke is sad. Those dogs are NOT safe with him.
He’s personally threatened me, just for some comments on the videos when I first came across them, (horrified of course!) He wrote vile horrible stuff in comments that I removed, about my disability even. Very clear that he’s mentally off. Too bad dogs can’t be taken away for that.
I know, they’re the ones who are suffering.
Tamandra, he threatened you? Did you talk to the police. If you didn’t you should have.
Do you still have the e-mails? Whether or not you do you should report the nastiness to FB and tell where you saw them
That is the only way to stop this beast. It is clear he has no respect for anything or anyone.
I said that from the very first moment I seen the videos and posted them with the comment about it being wrong and deliberate. Also with his pure hatred of Pitbulls, he does this to set them up to fail.
Thanks for bringing Brett’s scam to the forefront. He contacted me trying to drum up sympathy and I’m assuming an alli. Well it didn’t work. His final comment to me was “F**K YOU. Obviously I wasn’t buying his song sbd dance.
Thanks again !
Friend of anne.
Dana dillon
Great info to have. I do have to complain that you posted links to his videos. All that is doing is creating more views and money for him.
I understand but I felt people needed to see an example of what he does. Watching it is much more powerful than reading about it. If enough people are outrages and complain about it maybe we can get youtube to take them down.
Thank you for writing this. This man is a menace to society! His handling skills are horrid and he knows nothing about training or behavior, the scary thing is he has followers that think he is awesome. I really hope there are not people following in his footsteps because his actions are an accident waiting to happen.
This video, really horrified me. The man is more concerned with filming than with his dogs.
This jerk needs to be stopped!!! He’s ripping people off and putting dogs in danger!!!
He needs to have his dogs taken away before he kills them all
THANK YOU ROBERT!!!! for continuing to expose this sick, certifiable pathetic ‘human’. KUDOS!!!!!
I have also been watching him for some time now and am happy to see him finally being exposed. Being a rottweiler owner myself, and the bad rap these wonderful dogs get already, I felt that his videos and how he titles them does damage to the rottweiler breed. The dogs are obviously scared of him and do whatever he tells them out of fear of being punished. They are not aggressive by choice, but do what he wants them to do. He needs his videos to have some length to them, that is why he continues to force his dogs on innocent people out walking their dogs when they just want to be on their way.
I believe he is a dangerous person. Please keep in mind that he makes money when people view his videos. It would be FANTASTIC if folks that view his videos took the time to also report them so they would be taken down. He should not be able to generate an income from promoting dog violence, being a cyber bully or for scamming the public out of money for his fake dog rescue – and that is exactly what he is doing.
Does anyone know if this is true? I HEARD that YT only pays when you have subscribers to your channel. If people watch and do not subscribe, he makes nothing, which is why he is always begging for subscribers, or as he refers to them, subs. Always saying make you you subscribe to my channel.
This reminds me so much of someone that TOOK the publics trust and turned it into evil profit for himself.. (OAS) Very similar to what happened on his rescue of ALEX. Thanx for the update Robert.
Here’s a question; Why isn’t this jackass in jail for defrauding the public?
is the a proper way to train your dog? ive never thought of using an aluminum baseball bat to “train” your dog.
Pit bull already have a bad rep about fighting other dogs or attacking people. They do not need people like this guy giving more ammo to ban any type of dog for people to own. Disgusted.
Thank you for your article. Most of Mr. Bennett’s (and I don’t know he has at least 50) videos have as a title “X dog” vs. Rottweiler, implying a fight, and showing, as this trainer mentioned, the opposite of anything resembling responsible dog handling. He even has a video titled “Rottweiler Frightens Child at Beach”, where he is filming while on of his off leash dogs plops down next to a terrified child, and Bennett continues filming and allows the dog to stay there while he films (the dog was not threatening – but that is not the point, the dog and child should not have been put in this situation. I have reported all of these videos to You Tube/Google, suggesting that they are depicting dangerous behavior. If people imitate his “dog greeting” examples; and someone looses a leash; there is going to be a dead or injured dog or human. Apparently they don’t agree.
Its just sad… it gets worse and worse and this guy seems unstoppable. Did you see his FB post today? His one remaining fighting dog is now a service dog, which he proudly brags about. And he has PTSD.
There are 16 days that have a law against fraudulent use of a SD. Unfortunately WA is not one of them.
Your comments are spot on. Hopefully the negative exposure he’s getting now will show people how dangerous his video are and to avoid him.
Even more disturbing added to all of this is that Mr Bennett has been threatening several of his old classmates on Facebook (myself and AT LEAST 20 of my friends included) for years now. I became aware of it when he threatened myself and a (now ex-) boyfriend with severe physical harm about 4 yrs ago, but it had been going on for a long time before that and continues to this day with other friends and classmates (and their children) with no provocation whatsoever, in fact, in many cases simply when others are trying to help him. He absolutely has no control over his bouts of rage and emotional triggers, then will backpedal and blame it on seeing his dear girl kill herself (I honestly thought he was speaking of a gf when he was telling me this, only to find out his dog jumped out the car window….wouldn’t YOU, TOO, if HE were your owner?!?) and the deep sadness it caused him. BS.
It is simply a matter of time before this ticking time bomb detonates and hurts or kills a human being. He needs to be locked up either in jail or a mental facility for a long time, and put on serious medication before something drastic happens.
It is clear that your only writing shit about him.
He loves his dogs and the dogs loves him.
Did you really watch more than one video of his channel?
Because such a fake article is really hurting him.
He loves his dogs so much and you just tell lies.
Shame on you!
And maybe you have the freedom of expression, but you have no right to be cruel. Anne Fromm is a bad hater of him and all those people who watch his videos more than one or two know that.
And to all the persons who don’t have a personal opinion.
Just look at his channel and
judge by youself not just because such a dirty person wants attention.