Several parents debate the best methods for raising their kids safely. From kid seats in automobiles to outlet covers in the home, parents will go to great lengths to protect their kids from damage and risk. However, one safety step has been widely disputed, and one mom speaks out in support of it.

Desiree Hoye has sparked debate after sharing images and testimonies about why she uses a backpack leash with her toddler. She begins her narrative by confessing that there was a time when she would say: before she became a mother, she would have declared that she would never put her kid on a leash, he’s not a dog!

However, as time passed, Hoye became aware of an emerging tendency in the news. Every year, we hear of new catastrophes that may have been prevented if young kids had not run away from their parents. She claims that over 2,000 kids go missing each day, from animal enclosure mishaps to abductions that may occur in seconds.

Given these dangers, Hoye wonders if parents and guardians can really fault her for seeking an extra layer of protection for her baby. She cites the proclivity of small kids to roam out on their own as well as the stress that comes with a missing child as more than enough justification to put her kid on a leash.

As Hoye stated that she had someone say to her, ‘Look at her putting her child on a leash…How awful.’”