Pete Davidsonis expressing frustration with PETA for criticizing his choice of buying a hypoallergenic dog from a pet store rather than adopting a new pooch after losing his beloved family pup.
Instagram/davesirus
Further defending his decision, Davidson expressed that the puppy was for his mother,whose dog Henry had recently died. Davidson then expressed some vulgarities in the voicemail.
PEOPLE reached out to Pete Davidson’s rep for comment on the matter but did not receive an immediate response.
Arturo Holmes/WireImage
In a statement to TMZ, theTransformers: Rise of the Beastsstar further detailed what moved him to call PETA. “I haven’t seen my mom and sister cry like that in over 20 years,” he said of his family’s reaction to Henry’s death. “I was trying to cheer up my family. I was already upset that the store had filmed me without my permission or acknowledgment. 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.”
Davidson admitted he was unaware he could “adopt a specific hypoallergenic dog, and said he was told, “It wasn’t an option, and if it was, it was rare.”
Jamie McCarthy/WireImage
“Many pet shops pacify concerned people with empty claims of working with ‘reputable breeders,’ but there’s no such thing — puppies in pet stores, almost without exception, are obtained from puppy mills, deplorable massive dog prisons where hundreds of breeding dogs, and their puppies are intensively confined and denied everything that’s natural and important to them, including basic socialization, exercise, grooming, and veterinary care. That’s part of the reason why New York state banned the sale of puppies in pet shops (effective in 2024),” PETA adds.
“We know Pete cares about animals and was trying to do a nice thing for his family, but he has millions of impressionable fans, and his choices matter—so the next time he’s ready to welcome an animal into the family, we hope he makes the compassionate choice to adopt, not buy.”
Davidson first shared the news of Henry the dog’s death on May 4 with an emotional message posted via the Instagram account ofDave Sirus,a writer on Davidson’s new Peacock showBupkis.
“My mom, sister, and I got Henry at the beginning of the pandemic, and he saved our lives,” Davidson continued. “Not sure I’d even be around without him. He was the happiest and sweetest dog ever.”
Davidson, who has been open about hismental health struggles, famously lived in his mom Amy Davidson’s basement until he moved out in 2021.
Never miss a story — sign up forPEOPLE’s free daily newsletterto stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.
TheSaturday Night Livealum’s post went on to detail his special bond with Henry: “He used to get excited when he saw me and would pee everywhere. When I was working atSNLmy mom would send me videos of him watching, smiling and making noise when I came on screen.”
“I don’t ever really watch any of my stuff with anyone as I’m far too scared but I didn’t mind watching with Henry. He was truly the best,” the post’s caption read.
“My mom, sister, and I are broken and will miss him forever,” Davidson concluded his message. “We love you Henry. Thank you for making our lives fuller and reminding me what actually matters.”
source: people.com
