Sarah Palin photos of son Trig stepping on family dog spark outrage

Facebook photos posted by Sarah Palin showing her son Trig using the family dog as a step stool unleashed online fury reminiscent of the public reaction to the disclosure that Mitt Romney had once driven with his dog strapped on the car's roof.

Six-year-old Trig, who has Down's syndrome, is shown stepping on the family's black labrador while it lies on the kitchen floor in order to reach the sink. The dog appears unruffled.

The Facebook post by Palin, who was the Republican vice-presidential nominee in 2008, drew more than 12,000 comments by Friday, ranging from cries of animal abuse to those seconding Palin's praise for the youngest of her five children.

"May 2015 see every stumbling block turned into a stepping stone on the path forward," Palin wrote on her Facebook page.

"Trig just reminded me. He, determined to help wash dishes with an oblivious mama not acknowledging his signs for 'up!', found me and a lazy dog blocking his way. He made his stepping stone," Palin wrote.