Lily Allen received a harsh gift from an animal charity after choosing to rehome her dog for chewing up her passport.
The 39-year-old “Smile” singer has faced significant backlash after revealing that her pet dog had “ruined her life.”
On an episode of her podcast Miss Me? with Miquita Oliver, Allen shared that she had adopted the small dog to live with her and her two children, Ethel Mary Cooper, 12, and Marnie Rose Cooper, 11, in their New York townhouse.
Allen shares her children with her ex-husband, Sam Cooper. The couple married in 2011 and divorced in 2018.
“We actually did adopt a dog, but it ate my passport, so I took her back to the shelter,” the musician explained.
“She ate all three of our passports, and they had our visas in them.”
“And I can’t even begin to tell you how much it cost me to get everything replaced. It was during Covid, so it was an absolute logistical nightmare.”
“And because the father of my children lives in England, I couldn’t take them back to see their dad for like four or five months, all because this f**king dog had eaten the passports.”
“And I just couldn’t look at her. I was like, ‘You’ve ruined my life.'”
Animal charity PETA has responded by sending the singer a mechanical dog with a message.
“We were appalled when we heard you say that you returned your adopted dog, Mary, to the shelter because she chewed your family’s passports,” Elisa Allen, PETA’s Vice President of Programmes, said in a letter on Friday, August 23.
“While you could get new passports and rebook your flights, Mary might spend many months in the shelter waiting for a new family—if she’s lucky enough to find one at all.”
“Anyone who knows and loves dogs understands that it’s pretty much inevitable that a dog will chew on something in the house at some point.”
“Dogs naturally explore their world by chewing on things – it’s just part of their nature! Maybe you could have kept your important documents in a drawer?”
“Dogs should never be treated as mere accessories to be discarded when they become inconvenient.”
“They are loyal companions who deserve the same steadfast love and commitment that they give us.”
Explaining the meaning behind their gift, the group added: “Since Allen mentioned she plans to get another dog soon, we’re also sending her a mechanical toy dog with this message: ‘This is the only animal you should bring into your home.'”
