Celebs Buying Dogs Targeted by PETA As Homeless-Animal Crisis Worsens During Pandemic
Celebs Buying Dogs Targeted by PETA As Homeless-Animal Crisis Worsens During Pandemic
Group Shares ‘Adopt, Don’t Shop’ Message in London
London – Since the start of the pandemic, newly purchased “pedigree” and “designer” puppies have popped up on the Instagram pages of Katie Price, Molly-Mae Hague, Channing Tatum, Jennifer Lopez, and others. That’s why PETA has placed a heart-wrenching billboard in Kensington calling out celebrities and influencers who, through their irresponsible purchases, are fuelling the sale and breeding of puppies while thousands of dogs are waiting in shelters with nowhere to call home.
The ad – which shows an adorable mutt – reads, “Dear Famous People, Stop Buying Dogs. Love, Max the Shelter Dog,” and serves to remind anyone considering bringing an animal into their home to adopt from their local shelter or rescue group. A poignant appeal from “Max” has also been placed on PETA’s website.
“I’m trying to keep my spirits up, but to be honest, it’s getting harder and harder to keep my tail wagging,” writes “Max”. “I guess I just want to know what’s wrong with me. Sure, I may not be a puppy – but I still have years of life ahead of me and so much love to give.”
“When celebrities purchase dogs from breeders, they drive up the demand to bring more puppies into a world that’s already overflowing with homeless animals,” says PETA Director Elisa Allen. “PETA is asking celebrities and social media influencers to inform themselves about the homeless-animal crisis and stop contributing to it, to recognise that their choices have an impact that reaches far beyond Instagram, and to show compassion for the tens of thousands of homeless animals in the UK and elsewhere.”
PETA – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to abuse in any way” and which opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview – notes that Google searches for “buy a puppy” increased by 166% at the start of the pandemic. And animal shelters around the UK are reporting a rise in the number of “lockdown puppies” – dogs acquired during the first lockdown and abandoned once the novelty wore off.
Every year, hundreds of thousands of dogs and cats end up in animal shelters, and many of them have to be euthanised simply because there aren’t enough good homes for them. Every time someone buys a kitten or a puppy from a breeder, a dog or a cat in a shelter loses his or her chance at finding a home.
The billboard can be spotted at 87 Hammersmith Road for the next two weeks. A high-resolution image is available here, and photos are available on Getty Images. For more information, please visit PETA.org.uk.
Contact:
Jennifer White +44 (0) 20 7837 6327, ext 222; [email protected]
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