Lily Allen Responds to 'Shame' Around Rehoming Dog That Ate Her Family's Passports: 'We Didn't Abandon Her'

After her former dog tore through her family’s passports, singer and podcast host Lily Allen wasn’t comfortable with keeping them.

The British artist has been at the center of controversy after revealing that she returned her former adopted dog to a shelter after they “ruined” her life. Last week, Allen co-hosted BBC podcast Miss Me? alongside special guest Steve Jones, where she shared that she’s planning to get a “Chihuahua mix” with her husband, actor David Harbour and her two daughters, and recalled the passport incident around the 4:15-minute mark.

“She ate all three of our passports and they had our visas in. 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,” Allen said.

She continued, “And 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 fucking dog had eaten the passports. And I just couldn't look at her. I was like, ‘You've ruined my life.’”

Allen also confessed that passports weren’t “the only thing she ate,” but that the pup was an all-around “very badly behaved dog.” “And I really tried very hard with her, but it just didn't work out,” she said.

But some listeners accused Allen of animal cruelty for returning the pup, which the "Smile" singer defended herself against on X.

“People have been furiously reacting to a deliberately distorted cobbling together of quotes designed to make people angry and as a result, I've received some really abhorrent messages including death threats,” Allen wrote on Monday (Aug. 26). “Some of the most disgusting comments have been all over my social media channels, and I'm really not surprised because this is exactly what those articles are designed to do.”

Allen then provided an explanation about her former adopted dog, Mary, who she adopted from a New York shelter, but it so became clear that the pup “developed pretty severe separation anxiety and would act out in all manner of ways.”

“It was a volunteer from the shelter who would come and dog sit her when we were away, and after many months and much deliberation everyone was in agreement that our home wasn't the best fit for Mary.”

Allen added that Mary was rehomed by someone her family knew within 24 hours of being brought back to the shelter. “We couldn't meet Mary's needs and her happiness and welfare were central to us making that decision, as difficult as it was,” she wrote.

But some animal rights activists retorted, like nonprofit organization PETA, who accused Allen of laughing about returning Mary and “abandoning” the dog.

“People laugh when they talk about painful things all the time, it’s quite normal,” Allen replied. “I’ve clarified that we didn’t abandon her and that she was rehomed with people we knew almost immediately. Why are you perpetuating lies ? What kind of animal welfare charity tries to shame someone for wanting to improve the welfare of an animal. Your post is dangerous.”

Allen later clarified that the shelter “facilitated everything” regarding Mary’s rehoming, before ending her back-and-forth with PETA, writing “Nineteen Eighty Paws.”

Mary had her own Instagram account, which has been riddled with negative comments about Allen’s decision to rehome.