Lily Allen's Former Dog Gets New Home Amid Animal Cruelty Backlash
Lily Allen and PETA are still butting heads, but the dog sandwiched between them is finally living its best life.
The drama between the "Smile" singer and the animal rights organization began after Allen revealed she returned her former pet to the shelter. Mary, the black labrador retriever she adopted, has been rehomed with a new family.
The pup's happy ending comes amid a severe backlash against Lily Allen for seemingly abandoning the dog because it chewed on her family's passports—a situation PETA vehemently slammed her for.
Lily Allen's Former Pet Has Found The Perfect Family
Tiffany Lacey, the Executive Director of Animal Haven in New York City, recently shared updates about Allen's former dog. She revealed Mary had found her happy ending after the singer returned the pup to the rescue group.
Lacey seemingly defended Allen's decision, stressing that it was Animal Haven's policy to take back animals if the adoption didn't work out. In this case, Mary was returned to them months after her May 2021 adoption.
Unfortunately, the public didn't see Allen's POV in the situation as her revelation about the pup didn't go well. TMZ noted she explained Mary was returned to the shelter because of her bad behavior, including a passport-chewing incident on her "Miss Me?" podcast.
Her words sparked heated responses from fans and PETA UK, who bashed her for treating Mary as an accessory that could be discarded. They went as far as offering to send her a mechanical dog toy, claiming: "It really is the only animal you should bring into your home."
Allen Claims The Media Distorted The Truth
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Following the backlash, Allen penned a lengthy response to critics on X, stressing that the situation had been taken out of context. She accused media outlets of spreading the misunderstanding with false reports, writing:
"'We tried very hard and for a very long time, but the passports were the straw that broke the camel's back.' This is the part of the podcast that the tabloids decided not to quote in their articles about me 'dumping my puppy.'"
Allen stressed that because the "deliberately distorted cobbling together of quotes" was designed to spark public outrage, she had been subjected to unfair backlash. In her words:
"I've received some abhorrent messages, including death threats. Some of the most disgusting comments have been all over my social media channels."
The Singer Says Mary Suffered From 'Separation Anxiety'
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Allen doubled down on Mary's return being the best option for the dog after it couldn't find happiness in her home. "We rescued our puppy Mary from a shelter in NY, and we loved her very much," she claimed, adding:
"BUT she developed pretty severe separation anxiety and would act out in all manner of ways…We worked with the shelter that we rescued her from, and they referred us to a behavioral specialist and a professional trainer."
"After many months and much deliberation, everyone was in agreement that our home wasn't the best fit for Mary," Allen explained, stressing that she knew the person the pup was rehomed with. She noted the decision was difficult, but the dog's happiness came first.
PETA Drags Allen Over Comments About The Dog
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Following her statement, Allen bashed PETA in a separate tweet, writing, "Also thank you to @peta for adding fuel to the fire. Very responsible of you." However, the animal rights organization wasted no time clapping back.
"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–king dog' who 'ruined my life,'" PETA tweeted, adding:
"Shame on you. You don't deserve even the toy dog we sent you."
Their response sparked another lengthy message from Allen, who defended her actions. "People laugh when they talk about painful things all the time; it's quite normal," she argued, stressing that Mary wasn't abandoned but rehomed.
Lily Allen Labels PETA's Comments 'Dangerous'
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Allen didn't hold back in her retort, calling PETA out for distorting the truth. "Why are you perpetuating lies? What kind of animal welfare charity tries to shame someone for wanting to improve the welfare of an animal," she wondered.
"Your post is dangerous," Allen warned the animal rights organization. She doubled down on PETA being a problem in her response to an X user who applauded their stance against the singer.
"Well said, PETA. A dog's for life, not just for clickbait and Instagram," the individual penned. However, Allen defended herself, arguing, "They literally have just used a dog for clickbait and Instagram."
Lily Allen and PETA may not agree on Mary's situation, but at least the dog is happy.
