Overview
- Cyril Schreiner confessed on February 9 in a Snapchat video, later reposted to Instagram and TikTok on February 10, that Albert’s supposed abduction was fabricated.
- He revealed the ‘dog’ seen in the surveillance-style footage was a sack of potatoes and said Albert was never involved in filming.
- The creator apologized, saying “I screwed up,” and pledged to donate any money from the recent videos to animal-welfare organizations.
- He said the stunt was meant to “create entertainment,” claimed social-media payouts have declined, and reported losing partnerships, credibility, and money.
- Followers and pet influencers condemned the deception, with Jonathan Graziano and Doug the Pug’s owner Rob Chianelli publicly criticizing the videos.