Kim Kardashian’s festive holiday surprise for her children has sparked online debate and drawn criticism from an animal rights organization. After the reality star shared that each of her four kids received a puppy for Christmas, PETA publicly voiced its disapproval. The organization argued that “puppies are not plushies,” and urged the family to consider adoption and animal welfare awareness instead.
PETA tells Kim Kardashian ‘puppies are not plushies’
The criticism came after Kim Kardashian posted a series of Instagram stories on Christmas Day, revealing four new Pomeranian puppies had joined her household. In one image showing the small dogs — each with a different coat color — Kardashian wrote, “Each kid got a puppy,” referring to her children North, Saint, Chicago, and Psalm, whom she shares with her former spouse Kanye West.
Soon after the posts circulated, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals weighed in. Speaking with PEOPLE, PETA founder Ingrid Newkirk criticized the decision, saying that giving puppies as gifts sends the wrong message amid what the organization describes as an ongoing “homeless puppy crisis.” Newkirk claimed Kardashian missed an opportunity to promote shelter adoptions instead.
PETA also extended its criticism to Kardashian’s sister Khloé Kardashian, who shared that her family received a black Labrador Retriever puppy for Christmas. Newkirk suggested that, rather than purchasing dogs, the sisters could support shelters by adopting, volunteering, or funding spay-and-neuter initiatives.
This isn’t the first time Kardashian’s household has expanded with animals. Throughout the years, she and her children have shared photos with various pets, including a bearded dragon named Speed and many other Pomeranians. One of her dogs, Sushi, has frequently appeared on her social media, and two additional Pomeranians joined the family in 2019.
The broader Kardashian-Jenner family also owns a wide range of animals, from dogs and cats to reptiles and horses. Sister Kylie Jenner has several dogs, while Kendall Jenner owns a horse named Arizona.
