'At least he didn’t eat the dog’: Sarah Palin hits back over picture of son standing on pet

Sarah Palin, the former governor of Alaska and Republican vice-presidential pick in 2008, has responded to criticism from the animal rights group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) over a photograph she published of her son Trig standing on the family dog.

“Dear Peta,” Palin wrote in a statement published on Facebook, “Chill. At least Trig didn’t eat the dog.”

Palin went on to claim hypocrisy from Peta over its treatment of the comedian and talk show host Ellen DeGeneres and President Barack Obama, saying the latter “revealed he actually enjoyed eating dead dog meat”.

The Facebook post that caused the initial controversy showed Trig, 6, who suffers from Down’s Syndrome, stepping on the family’s black labrador, Jill.

“May 2015 see every stumbling block turned into a stepping stone on the path forward,” Palin wrote. “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.”

In response, Peta president Ingrid Newkirk said: “It’s odd that anyone - let alone a mother - would find it appropriate to post such a thing, with no apparent sympathy for the dog in the photo.”

In her reponse to Peta, Palin said: “Hey, by the way, remember your ‘Woman of the Year’, Ellen DeGeneres? Did you get all wee-wee’d up when she posted this sweet picture? Hypocritical, much?”