Bloomberg Barked At for Shaking a Dog’s Head On Campaign Trail: ‘Has He Never Met A Dog Before?’

Presidential candidate and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg was caught Monday while campaigning in Burlington, Vermont shaking the hand of a man and then shaking the mouth of a dog.

In the video posted today by CBS News campaign reporter Nicole Sganga, who caught the awkward encounter on tape, sent dog-loving Twitter users into a panic.

While campaigning in Burlington, Vermont yesterday, Fmr. Mayor Michael Bloomberg met a dog. #Campaign2020 pic.twitter.com/AKAj8nMZhv

— Nicole Sganga (@NicoleSganga) January 28, 2020

With great wit, Twitter users took quick frustration to Bloomberg over his bizarre shaking of the dog’s mouth:

OK WHAT IS HE DOING https://t.co/FNwceNB3Dw

— MJ Lee (@mj_lee) January 28, 2020

little known fact, a snoot-shake is the correct way to greet all dogs https://t.co/wtoOsC6BJU

— Natasha Bertrand (@NatashaBertrand) January 28, 2020

really just destroying the whole billionaires are people too argument https://t.co/Qp9A3We98d

— David Covucci (@DavidCovucci) January 28, 2020

Bloomberg has spent $40000 million on this campaign and not one dollar on learning not to shake a dog’s jaw like it’s a person’s hand https://t.co/lyKmQQk1Gx

— Jason O. Gilbert (@gilbertjasono) January 28, 2020

we must protect all dogs from billionaires https://t.co/ywpjDKO6Dh

— Kate Aronoff (@KateAronoff) January 28, 2020

Has… Has he never met a dog before? https://t.co/maeZMU1zzL

— Jen Steer (@jensteer) January 28, 2020

Idea: Bring dogs on stage for the next #DemDebate

New idea: merge Westminster Dog Show with Dem Debates. https://t.co/spEMGCgJSH

— Shefali S. Kulkarni (@shefalikulkarni) January 28, 2020

Mouth-shaking https://t.co/eL0x5iagZn

— Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) January 28, 2020

as someone who is afraid of dogs going up to one and doing this is my worst nightmare https://t.co/0rjYAEZcXL

— Grace Segers (@Grace_Segers) January 28, 2020

Hey Michael, quick question, do you know how dogs work https://t.co/coswCIpGVj

— do not look at me or talk to me or smell me (@ChrisCaesar) January 28, 2020

That’s not how a dog works. https://t.co/GlNp0BX91R

— Bill Kuchman (@billkuchman) January 28, 2020

If someone pet Wally like this I’d punch them in the face. https://t.co/MEyHGLEp1C

— Emily C. Singer (@CahnEmily) January 28, 2020

This is really weird, and I think I like him more now. https://t.co/fDonyJQDwo

— Will Wilkinson ? (@willwilkinson) January 28, 2020

Photo from Twitter via Nicole Sganga.