Kyle Rittenhouse Using 'Therapy Dog' Sparks Fury

Kyle Rittenhouse has been mocked for bringing his therapy dog to a TV interview.

Rittenhouse, 20, rose to prominence when he was involved in the fatal shootings of 36-year-old Joseph Rosenbaum and 26-year-old Anthony Huber at a Black Lives Matter protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, in August 2020. A 26-year-old named Gaige Grosskreutz was also injured by Rittenhouse, who was armed with a semi-automatic AR-15-style assault rifle.

He argued he used the gun in self-defense and was acquitted of charges of first-degree intentional homicide, attempted first-degree intentional homicide, first-degree reckless homicide, and two charges of first-degree recklessly endangering safety.

Rittenhouse has now released a book about his life called Acquitted and has hit the promotional media trail, including an appearance opposite American Sunrise host Gina Loudon on the Real America's Voice network.

Alongside Rittenhouse on the sofa was a golden retriever who it turned out was his PTSD support dog.

"I want to first introduce your dog Milo, and I think it's important that we brought Milo on set with us. We don't normally have dogs on set with us except for my little dogs on Puppy Fridays," Loudon began.

"But we have Milo because you dedicated this book to him and you not only dedicated the book to him, you have an entire chapter in your book about him [and] as somebody who also really does benefit from a therapy dog for some of the things that I went through on January 6, I wanted to have him here with you," she said.

Loudon, who worked as a media advisor on former President Donald Trump's presidential campaign did not elaborate.

The clip of the exchange was shared to X, formerly Twitter, sparking a range of unsympathetic responses.

"Kyle Rittenhouse launches his book tour accompanied by his PTSD therapy dog," wrote Ron Filipkowski, an attorney and former federal prosecutor on X.

"Those poor dog parents. Imagine the embarrassment of having to explain to your dog friends and neighbors that your puppy went to dog college only to wind up being a therapy dog for a blubbering, murderous incel," one person replied to Filipkowski's tweet.

Another added: "Can this saga get any more nauseating??"

And a third wrote: "I feel sorry for the dog."

Newsweek contacted Rittenhouse for comment via Instagram.

Rittenhouse announced his book on social media on November 20.

"Two years ago today, accused of unjust charges, I heard 'NOT GUILTY' five times over from a jury of my peers who heard the facts," he told his 1.1 million followers. "My case split the nation into opposing sides fueled by emotions, politics, and misconceptions driven by media and political figures.

"Today, I want you to learn the truth, and know the real and honest version of my story—without filters or an agenda."

As a 17-year-old Rittenhouse had attended the protest in Kenosha, Wisconsin, which was held after the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old Black man paralyzed from the waist down after being shot by white police officer Rusten Sheskey in August 2020.

Huber's father, John Huber, filed a civil suit against Rittenhouse for wrongful death, and Grosskreutz sued Rittenhouse for "emotional distress, humiliation, loss of enjoyment of life, and other pain and suffering."

Joseph Rosenbaum's estate also filed a wrongful death case against Rittenhouse in August for "compensatory and punitive damages."

Rittenhouse has consistently maintained that in shooting the men he was acting in self-defense, and has said the lawsuits have made his life "difficult."