Briana “Bree” Wiseman, a 22-year-old pastry chef and restaurant manager from Tennessee, gained attention when she shared a photo of her dog next to a plate of food on Facebook. The photo quickly went viral, not only because of her dog’s undeniable cuteness but also because of the powerful message Bree included in the caption about sexual assault.
In her post, Wiseman wrote:
“To those who say women are to blame for rape because of how they dress, this is my dog. His favorite food is steak, and he’s at eye level with my plate. He won’t get any closer because I told him ‘no.’ If a dog behaves better than you, it’s time to rethink your life. Feel free to share, my dog is adorable.”
The post has been shared over 325,000 times, with thousands of supportive comments praising both the dog and the message.
Speaking to the Huffington Post, Wiseman explained that she shared the post to combat victim-blaming, partly due to her own experiences with sexual assault. She said:
“The only person responsible for a rape is the rapist. It’s their choice to commit the crime. Women shouldn’t have to fear being raped because of what they choose to wear. I want to raise awareness of this issue and encourage people to stand against victim-shaming.”
Wiseman added:
“If a 4-year-old pit bull can understand the word ‘no,’ even when he’s drooling over a steak, adults should be able to understand ‘no’ too—no matter what someone is wearing. How is it that a simple-minded animal can understand this better than many adults?”
It’s a valid point, and once again, it’s clear that dogs often teach us valuable lessons. Wiseman deserves recognition for speaking out, and her dog definitely earns praise for being such a well-behaved companion.