Tech CEO blasted as dog abuser after friend brings husky to loud festival | Latest Tech News
Talk about a ruff crowd!
A Los Angeles-based tech boss is catching heat after he and his friend have been filmed hauling a husky into San Francisco’s Outside Lands, where loud, thumping music left the pooch trying depressing.
Ikey Bensimhon, the CEO of Merch.com, was recognized as the person who attended San Francisco’s Outside Lands music festival on Aug. 9 alongside his friend, who owns the dog.
“I do not own a dog,” Bensimhon told The Post. “My friend and I arrived separately and only met up later inside the festival.”
Festivalgoers look on as an unidentified man crouches beside a husky dragged into Outside Lands in San Francisco on Aug. 9. Reddit/MelodicDifficulty520
“At no point did I assist or enable him to bring the dog. To suggest otherwise is dishonest and unfair,” he told The Post.
Clips posted to Reddit from Aug. 9 show Bensimhon’s unidentified friend with the husky amid a pounding DJ set at Outside Lands’ SoMa Stage.
The incident was first reported by the San Francisco Standard.
The man holding the husky seems to get into an argument with another festivalgoer close by. Reddit/MelodicDifficulty520
Commenters blasted the pair as “dog abusers” and accused them of yanking the leash, pinning the animal and sneering at critics as “Karens.”
In a 20-second clip, the dog proprietor is seen fiddling with the husky’s leash and showing to yell “F–k off!” at somebody standing close by.
In another video, the same man is seen leaping and dancing to the music, though the Reddit person who posted the clip was more centered on the animal.
“Poor baby,” read the caption on the video, which included a dog emoji and another emoji depicting a teary-eyed unhappy face.
“This poor dog got dragged by its owner to OSL,” the Reddit person who uploaded the second video wrote on the message board website.
“I don’t know how it even got into the venue but it was clearly miserable.”
According to the Reddit person, the dog’s proprietor “started calling everyone Karens after he got called out.”
Witnesses reported that the dog appeared distressed due to the loud noise at the festival. TikTookay/cancelme690
“He was apparently rough with her and kicked her to stay down at one point,” the indignant Redditor alleged.
Bensimhon told the Standard that his popularity has been unfairly tarnished.
“It’s really frustrating how a short, out-of-context clip can create problems,” Bensimhon told the online publication over the weekend.
He disputed claims circulated by Redditors that he and his friend have been intoxicated during the filmed parts that have been uploaded online.
“In reality, the clip shows the opposite [of what Redditors claim],” Bensimhon told The Post.
“I was telling my friend to stop the argument and walk away. I was trying to de-escalate the situation, yet the way the [Standard] article is framed makes it look like I was complicit.”
Bensimhon also told the Standard that the husky, who is 12 years previous, is his friend’s “closest companion” and a licensed service animal.
In another video, the same man is seen leaping and dancing to the music, though the Reddit person who posted the clip was more centered on the animal. TikTookay/cancelme690
He said that when he and his friend observed that they have been being filmed, they moved to another location at the festival.
“The second I saw what was happening, I leaned over and whispered, ‘Let’s go.’ We put her on the leash and left,” he said.
“We weren’t even there for more than two minutes.”
Bensimhon lamented that the incident was “a huge buzzkill” that ruined what had to that level been “a perfect weekend” journey from Los Angeles.
But Reddit posters disputed Bensimhon’s account. They claimed the tech govt and his friend have been excessively strict with the pet.
“They came in so aggressive and pinned the husky down on the ground so it stayed in the corner,” a witness who was said to have been at the festival told the Standard.
“Once the husky was set to the corner and was threatened to remain there, they were the most obnoxious in the crowd. They got in everyone’s faces and were trying to get attention with their dancing and started yelling, ‘How come this crowd f–king blows?’”
The dog proprietor ultimately takes the husky away as people close by grew upset. TikTookay/cancelme690
Bensimhon insisted he and his companion have been in compliance with festival coverage, saying they got here in through the accessibility entrance on thirty sixth Avenue and JFK Drive, the designated entry level for people with service animals.
According to Outside Lands, service canines are allowed inside the event, but no other pets are permitted.
While federal law ensures attendees can convey a educated service dog under the Americans with Disabilities Act, consultants warning that the animals ought to also be protected from blaring sound.
The dog proprietor (seen above) has denied allegations of abuse. Courtesy
The dog is seen above with its proprietor at the San Francisco festival earlier this month. Courtesy
United Support Animals notes that handlers ought to put together their canines for chaotic settings like live shows — often becoming them with particular earmuffs so the booming music doesn’t trigger pain.
Dog coach David Baron, who runs Service Dog School of America in Roseville, told the Standard that the husky in the video confirmed clear indicators of misery.
“The dog was clearly unhappy. It looked like it was very scared,” Baron said, including that the pounding music would have been painful for the animal’s delicate ears.
Ikey Bensimhon is CEO of Merch.com, based in Los Angeles. LinkedIn/Ikey Bensimhon
He also questioned whether or not the handler had the training needed to handle a service dog in such a chaotic atmosphere.
“Jumping around screaming and yelling—that would freak out anybody’s dog,” Baron said.
Baron famous that accountable house owners know sure venues merely aren’t acceptable for service animals, and many of his shoppers use protecting earmuffs when bringing canines into noisy stadiums or arenas.
“It’s common sense,” he said. “The dog shouldn’t be where there’s amplified loud music unless it has ear protection.”
The coach, who principally works with golden retrievers and Labradors, accused the handlers of ignoring both the dog’s stress alerts and basic live performance etiquette.
He likened the scene to “going to an adult bookstore, and somebody’s there with their kid… it’s just inappropriate.”
Stay informed with the latest in tech! Our web site is your trusted source for breakthroughs in artificial intelligence, gadget launches, software program updates, cybersecurity, and digital innovation.
For contemporary insights, knowledgeable coverage, and trending tech updates, go to us repeatedly by clicking right here.
