Reality television icon Kim Kardashian has found herself in hot water with the world's leading animal rights organisation after her lavish Christmas gift to her children.
Puppies Under the Tree Spark Outcry
On Christmas Day, the All's Fair actor shared a series of Instagram stories revealing she had welcomed four new Pomeranian puppies into her household, one for each of her four children. "Each kid got a puppy," she captioned the festive post.
However, the gesture was swiftly condemned by Ingrid Newkirk, founder of People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). Newkirk criticised the mother-of-four for treating live animals as mere accessories, akin to toys.
"Puppies are not plushies, and it's a damn shame that Kim missed the chance to be a spokesperson for shelter pups and instead is being rightly slammed on social media for that," Newkirk told PEOPLE magazine.
A Family Trend Draws Further Criticism
Kim was not the only Kardashian sister to gift a dog this festive season. Her sister, Khloe Kardashian, also shared photos and videos on Instagram of a black Labrador Retriever puppy her family received as a Christmas present.
In response to both sisters, Newkirk encouraged them to contact PETA or a local shelter if they ever wish to add another dog to their family in the future. She suggested they could "try to make some amends now by sending their kids to volunteer at a local shelter or paying for a local shelter adopt-a-thon or at least one spay day to help stop the growing homeless puppy crisis."
In Australia, PETA's mission is firmly dedicated to establishing and protecting the rights of all animals, operating under the core belief that "animals are not ours to eat, wear, experiment on, use for entertainment or abuse in any way."
Festive Family Dynamics
As of now, the Kardashians have not publicly responded to PETA's pointed statement. They have also not disclosed where the five puppies were sourced from.
Kim shares her four children – North, 12, Saint, 10, Chicago, 7, and Psalm, 6 – with her rapper ex-husband, Kanye West. Her Christmas photos showed her posing solo with the children in a silver dress, with Kanye absent from the frame.
However, on December 26, rapper Babyxsosa shared a screenshot of a FaceTime call that included North and Kanye's current wife, Bianca Censori. This appeared to indicate the rapper did spend time with his children over the holiday period, following reports he had not seen them for several months.
