Britney Spears has been called out by PETA for her alleged decision to buy a puppy, as opposed to rescuing one.

The non-profit organisation took to X - formerly known as Twitter - on 24 August to criticise the pop star, one day after she posted on Instagram about bringinging home her new puppy, Snow. While Spears never specified if she bought or rescued her dog, PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) went on to tweet a graphic that read: “Oops she did it again, Britney bought a purebred.”

PETA’s graphic image also included a snap of the singer alongside a statement, which described the negative impact that buying pets could have on animals in shelters.

“​​When influential people buy puppies, puppy mills cheer and animal shelters watch the homeless-animal crisis get even worse,” the statement read. In the caption of its post, PETA continued to slam Spears, claiming that the video of her new dog failed to highlight the challenges that “dogs in shelters” are facing.

“With one cutesy post, @BritneySpears ignored countless deserving dogs in shelters who so desperately need love, a comfy bed to curl up on, and a chance at a real life,” the organisation wrote. “She could have been a force for good and adopted, but instead she chose to be toxic.”

In addition, PETA published an article on 24 August that read: “‘Gimme More’ Compassion: Britney Spears Buys Another Dog.” The organisation continued to scrutinise big name celebrities who’ve chosen to buy their pets, as many rescue dogs still live in shelters.

“It’s irresponsible to bring more dogs into the world when so many are already here, desperate for loving homes,” the company wrote. “And purchasing from a ‘private breeder’ is no better than going to a pet shop or puppy mill. If you buy a dog, you’re killing another dog’s chance of finding a home. Period.”

The Independent has contacted representatives for PETA and Spears for comment.

This isn’t the first time that PETA has critcised an A-lister for buying a dog. In June, Daphna Nachminovitch – PETA’s senior vice president of cruelty investigations - issued a statement to TMZ slamming Pete Davidson for purchasing a dog at a pet store.

“It’s tragic that Pete didn’t seek out a borough-born mutt from a city animal shelter, because a scrappy New Yorker with charm, personality, and unconventional handsomeness could have been his perfect match,” she said. “Since shelters in New York and across the country are overflowing with homeless animals, PETA urges Pete to show some big heart energy by adopting, not shopping, in the future.”

However, it seemed that Davidson responded to PETA’s statement when he left an explicit voicemail to Nachminovitch, which was released by TMZ at the time. In his message, he explained his reasoning for purchasing the pet – while still telling the organisation to “suck my d***”.

“Thank you so much for making comments publicly that I didn’t adopt a dog. I just want to let you know I’m severely allergic to dogs so I have to get a specific breed,” he said in the voicemail, shared in June. “I’m only not allergic to cavapoos and those type of dogs and my mom’s f***ing dog, who’s two years old, died a week prior and we’re all so sad so I had to get a specific dog.”

Spears’ decision to get a new puppy also came one day after she and her now ex-husband, Sam Asgari, reportedly reached a custody agreement for their five shared dogs, according to TMZ. The actor is now reportedly the sole owner of a Doberman, Porsha - who he initially bought in 2021 - while the singer will get sole custody of their four other dogs.

On 16 August, the same day it was announced that Asghari and Spears were separating, the fitness instructor, 29, officially filed for divorce. Since then, many rumours have circulated surrounding Spears’ alleged infidelity and Asghari’s alleged attempts to renegotiate their prenuptial agreement.

However, Brandon Cohen - a representative for Asghari - denied reports about prenup renegotiations in a statement to The Independent, saying: “There are many claims that Sam is challenging the prenup and threatening to exploit his ex-wife with videos. However, all these claims are false, as no negative intention has ever been directed towards her and never will be.”

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