PETA is taking aim at Kim Kardashian after she reportedly gave each of her four children a puppy for Christmas.
In a statement shared on Sunday, Dec. 28, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) founder Ingrid Newkirk weighed in on the gifts for Kardashian’s kids — North, 12, Saint, 10, Chicago, 7, and Psalm, 6 — whom she shares with ex-husband Kanye West.
“Puppies are not plushies,” Newkirk said, arguing that Kardashian missed an opportunity to spotlight shelter adoption and is now facing backlash online.
Newkirk also urged Kardashian, 45, and her sister Khloé Kardashian — who also gifted a dog to her family for Christmas — to consider reaching out to PETA or a local shelter the next time they want to bring a dog into their homes.
She suggested they could “make some amends” by having their children volunteer at a local shelter, sponsoring a shelter adoption event, or helping fund spay-and-neuter efforts to address what she described as a growing homeless-puppy crisis.
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A representative for Kardashian did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Kardashian shared a series of Instagram Stories on Christmas revealing four small Pomeranian puppies in the family: two with dark fur, one cream-colored, and one sable. Alongside a photo of all four dogs together, she wrote, “Each kid got a puppy.”
Khloé Kardashian, 41, also posted photos on Instagram Stories on Dec. 25 showing a black Labrador retriever puppy, saying the dog was a Christmas gift for her family.
Kim and her children have shared photos over the years featuring various pets, including a bearded dragon named Speed. The family has also owned multiple Pomeranians, including two that joined them in 2019, as well as another named Sushi.
More broadly, the Kardashian-Jenner family has added many pets over the years — from dogs and cats to reptiles and even horses. Kylie Jenner has multiple dogs, while Kendall Jenner owns a horse named Arizona.
