PETA Calls Britney Spears ‘Toxic’ For Buying, Not Rescuing, New Puppy

Singer Britney Spears is being slammed by PETA for adopting a new furry friend amid her divorce from actor Sam Asghari!

On Wednesday afternoon, the "Hold Me Closer" singer took to Instagram to share a video of her new canine companion, Snow, who is a white, playful ball of energy. Although the Internet couldn't stop praising the adorable little pup, PETA was not happy that she chose to buy the pet pooch instead of adopting her from a shelter.

“Introducing Snow … the new edition to the family … it’s her world and we just live in it ??‍♀️ ??‍♀️ ??‍♀️ !!!" Britney wrote in the caption of an Instagram video posted to her account on Thursday. She didn't identify the breed of dog that she bought or disclose when she really got the dog, as the couple had settled their custody agreement concerning their five dogs just the day before.

Although many fans loved her new puppy, it seems PETA did not. The organization has taken many celebrities to task for purchasing and not rescuing animals from shelters, and Britney was no exception. A rep for PETA released a statement to TMZ, saying:

"When influential people buy puppies, puppy mills cheer and animal shelters watch the homeless-animal crisis get even worse. With this one cutesy post, Britney Spears has sentenced countless deserving dogs in shelters to more days without love, a comfy bed to curl up on, or a chance at a real life."

"She could have been a force for good and adopted, but instead she chose to be toxic, and animals will pay with their lives,” they added, working the name of the pop star's hit single "Toxic" into their statement.

Unfortunately, the 41-year-old pop star is only one of the many celebrities that PETA has called out in recent months.

In June 2023, PETA also came after “Saturday Night Alum” Pete Davidson after he bought a puppy at a New York City pet store following the death of his longtime canine companion, Henry. According to TMZ, he left PETA’s Senior VP of Cruelty Investigations, Daphna Nachminovitch, a profanity-laden voicemail after Daphna told the outlet, "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."

"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,” they added.

Pete later told the outlet that he is allergic to dogs and that he had to buy a hypoallergenic dog species – in this case, a Cavapoo - because they don’t shed. He also revealed that the dog was not even for him but for his mother.

PETA still took the “King Of Staten Island” to task, responding, "If Pete had done his research, he would know that there’s no such thing as a hypoallergenic dog, that at least a quarter of dogs in shelters are purebreds, and that Petfinder has listings for homeless dogs of every breed under the sun, including the one he purchased."

Pete responded by saying that he didn’t know he could “adopt a specific hypoallergenic dog” but was told “it wasn’t an option, and if it was, it was rare.” Hypoallergenic dogs are expensive, often costing in the thousands of dollars, so it is rare to find one at a shelter. However, it seems PETA wasn't willing to back down.

“Our hearts go out to the Davidson family for the loss of their dog, but Pete must know in his heart that there's no excuse for buying a dog and propping up the puppy mill industry when millions of dogs await loving homes in shelters, and we hope he'll do the right thing and adopt next time,” PETA said in another statement, which prompted Pete to issue another statement in response.

"I haven't seen my mom and sister cry like that in over 20 years. I was trying to cheer up my family. I was already upset that the store had filmed me without my permission or acknowledgment,” Pete told the outlet. “Then this organization (PETA) made a public example of us, making our grieving situation worse. I am upset. It was a poor choice of words. I shouldn't have said what I said, but I am not sorry for standing up for myself and my family."

Britney has yet to respond to PETA, who has yet to comment on her plans to buy two horses.