Lily Allen receives backlash and a mechanical dog from PETA UK after she recently revealed that she returned a dog she adopted because “it ate my passport and so I took her back to the home.”
The backlash came from social media users and has even reached People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) after the recent revelation on the “Miss Me?” podcast.
“She ate all three of our passports and they had our visas in and I cannot tell you how much money it cost me to get everything replaced because it was in COVID,” Allen said.
Allen reveals it was an ‘absolute logistical nightmare’ because she couldn’t take her kids to see their dad in England for about four or five months.
“I just couldn’t look at her — I was like, ‘You’ve ruined my life.’” she said on the podcast.
The singer-songwriter and actress also said that the dog was ‘very badly behaved’ and that passports weren’t the only thing she ate.
“I really tried very hard with her but it just didn’t work out and the passports were the straw that broke the camel’s back, so to speak.”
Social media users were quick to criticize Allen for her decision. One user from X (formerly Twitter) wrote, “why would you keep your passport near your dog and then blame the dog for doing dog stuff”.
Another user wrote, “do people not realize when they adopt animals that they are adopting an animal”
Furthermore, after PETA heard of the story, they sent Allen a letter calling out the singer on August 23.
In the letter, they wrote, “While you could get new passports and rebook your flights, Mary may spend many months in the shelter waiting for a new family – if she’s lucky enough to find one at all.”
They also wrote how it’s natural for dogs to explore the world by putting things in their mouths.
The animal rights organization wrote, “Couldn’t you have put your important documents in a drawer?”
In addition to the letter, PETA UK also sent Allen a mechanical dog toy, writing “Dogs should never be treated as accessories to be discarded when they become inconvenient. They are loyal companions who deserve the same unwavering love and commitment they offer us.”
PETA UK ‘begs’ Allen to not get another dog. They said, “Instead, we’re sending you a mechanical toy puppy, which requires none of the care, patience, or commitment that a real one does. It really is the only animal you should bring into your home.”
After the backlash she received, Allen wrote a lengthy clarification on X. She explained that the puppy, named Mary, developed separation anxiety and would act out in all manner of ways.
Allen wrote, “we worked with the shelter that we rescued her from and they referred us to a behavioral specialist and a professional trainer, it was a volunteer from the shelter who would come and dog sit her when we were away“.
“And after many months and much deliberation everyone was in agreement that our home wasn’t the best fit for Mary,” she continued.
She also reveals that Mary was rehomed within 24 hours of being returned and that the person who adopted Mary was someone they know.
“We couldn’t meet Mary’s needs and her happiness and welfare were central to us making that decision, as difficult as it was.”
Allen also expresses her frustration saying that the week has been ‘very distressing’. She wrote, “I’ve had rescue dogs pretty consistently throughout my life since I was 4 years old, I’m pretty good at ascertaining a dogs needs, I have never been accused of mistreating an animal”.
She ended her clarification by mentioning PETA saying, “Also thank you to @peta for adding fuel to the fire. Very responsible of you.”
However, PETA fired back on Allen saying, “YOU laughed when speaking about abandoning Mary and ruined this poor dog’s life. She thought she had a loving forever home before you tossed her out, calling her “that f******* dog” who “ruined my life.””
PETA ended their statement with, “Shame on you. You don’t deserve even the toy dog we sent you.”
After the revelation that Mary was quickly rehomed, social media users had divided opinions about the whole situation.
Some were saying that it was responsible of Allen to prioritize the dog’s needs. One X user wrote, “She responsibly rehomed a dog when she realised she would not be able to meet her dog’s very specific needs. No-one should be shamed for doing that. The needs of the dog come first, and Lily recognised that.”
However, some were still not happy about Allen’s actions about the whole ordeal. “You don’t give up on your animals. As soon as you take them in they are family. You don’t look any better for this,” one user wrote.
