Lily Allen Sparks Outrage After Returning Adopted Dog Who She Says 'Ruined Her Life'
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British pop star Lily Allen single-handedly managed to invoke the ire of the internet and animal lovers everywhere after admitting that she once returned an adopted dog to the animal shelter after the pup "ruined her life."
Allen lives in New York City with her husband, Stranger Things star David Harbour, and her two kids, whom she shares custody of with their father in the UK. In the spring of 2021, the family adopted a puppy from an NYC animal shelter, naming the pup "Mary."
For a few weeks, Allen and Harbour shared adorable photos and videos of the black Labrador Retriever puppy on her personal Instagram page, @its_marys_world. But after May 5, 2021, Mary's Instagram updates suddenly stopped without explanation. Lily Allen finally revealed why yesterday on an episode of her podcast, Miss Me?, after discussing how she was planning to adopt a puppy very soon.
"We actually did adopt a dog already, but then it ate my passport and so I took her back to the home," Allen told her cohost. "She ate all three of our passports, and they had our visas. And I cannot tell you how much money it cost me to get everything replaced, because it was in COVID, and so it was just an absolute logistical nightmare.”
Related: 10-Year-Old Dog's Sad Reaction to Being Overlooked at Adoption Event Is Devastating
Allen claimed that Mary had bad behavioral issues in general, complaining that her and her children's passports weren't "the only things she ate." But this incident, along with the ensuing drama it caused, was the last straw.
"Because the father of my children lives in England, I couldn’t get them back to see their dad for, like, four months, five months because this f-----g dog had eaten the passports,” Allen vented. “And I just couldn’t look at her. I was like, ‘You ruined my life.’”
Allen's comments and her decision to return Mary to the animal shelter quickly sparked outrage across social media, especially in light of Allen's plans to adopt another dog.
"Lily Allen is all that's wrong with the world, got a puppy, used it for likes on Instagram, and then sent it back to the home because it chewed up her family passports that she left within its reach. Hopefully this pup found someone who deserves her," vented X/Twitter user @GoldenFerg963.
"Yeah, this is not a good look for Lily Allen... jeez. There are no badly behaved puppies/dogs, only badly behaved owners," replied @Lou_007.
"So Lily Allen gets rid of her puppy because she left passports in easy reach of a puppy that, like all puppies, will chew anything in sight. Please, all dog shelter rescue centres, do NOT allow this person to EVER have a puppy again," said @Sarah_K_B83.
Shelter Animals and Behavioral Issues
Many people adopt puppies or kittens because they're cute, only to find themselves overwhelmed when their baby animal is hyperactive, high-maintenance, and yes, liable to chew on anything they can. Additionally, it can sometimes take a shelter animal of any age up to a few weeks to a couple months to emotionally recover from the stress of living in a shelter and acclimate to their new home, which is why adoptive pet parents should account for a "grace period" while their pet readjusts.
Behavioral issues are one of the most common reasons why adopted animals are returned to their shelters. Sometimes shelter returns are inevitable, but this should ideally be a last resort. If your shelter dog has behaviorial issues (especially if it's just a puppy), reach out to a vet or behaviorial expert first before taking the next steps!
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