After losing her beloved chihuahua Theo just after Christmas, Stacey Solomon has welcomed a new dog into the family. The six month old working cocker spaniel – who bears a striking resemblance to her BFF Mrs Hinch’s dog Henry – is named “Teddy” as a tribute to their late pet (both names can be nicknames of Theodore).
But while the family were in a blissful love bubble playing with their new rescue puppy, fans were upset over the supposed VIP treatment Stacey was given by the animal charity.
Stacey, 32, seemed to initially suggest on Instagram that she’d been thinking about getting a new dog – partly as a companion for their other pup, Peanut – on the Saturday. She then informed her followers she had been speaking to a representative of rescue charity Pro Dogs Direct on the Sunday and had set off on a “late night adventure” the same day in order to meet the dog, taking Peanut and her “little pickles” to meet him too.
The following morning, Stacey then confirmed they had brought Teddy home that night, explaining, “I didn’t know we would be able to bring him home straight away, so we were a little unprepared.”
The charity quickly began to receive complaints from pet lovers questioning the speedy process Stacey had gone through to adopt a dog.
One commenter wrote, “I am so incredibly disappointed… I have been trying to adopt for about 16 months now. Application after application, vying against the hundreds of other families and individuals wanting to adopt, weeks’ worth of going back and forward, home visits and play/bonding dates. Never heard of deciding to commit to adopting on a Saturday, being able to visit puppy on a Sunday evening and then bring him home that very same evening. After admitting to not being prepared! And with three children under the age of 10. How?”
Check out: celeb splits that shocked the world
RADIO Celebrity splits that shocked the world - slider with cover pic
1 of 27Swipe through to see which celebrity splits shocked the world of showbiz
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5 of 27Jake Quickenden and Danielle Fogarty
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6 of 27Jennifer Aniston and Justin Theroux
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7 of 27Anna Faris and Chris Pratt
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8 of 27Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt
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9 of 27Fergie and Josh Duhamel
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10 of 27Perrie Edwards and Zayn Malik
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11 of 27Taylor Swift and Calvin Harris
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13 of 27Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes
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14 of 27Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow
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15 of 27Ben Affleck and Jennifer Garner
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16 of 27Jake Roche and Jesy Nelson
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17 of 27Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney
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18 of 27Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom
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20 of 27Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale
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21 of 27Khloe Kardashian and Lamar Odom
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22 of 27Will Arnett and Amy Poehler
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23 of 27Ariana Grande and Mac Miller
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24 of 27Cheryl Tweedy and Liam Payne
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The charity’s website states that it does not rehome dogs to families with children under 10 years old. Stacey is mum to Zachary, 13, Leighton, eight, Rex, two, and three-month-old Rose.
After receiving multiple complaints, Pro Dogs Direct responded to the claims that Stacey had adopted Teddy too quickly as well as the queries about the age of her children.
They wrote that while the majority of their dogs cannot be homed with young children, “This lad [Teddy] is great with children, he has a fab temperament and is now in a great home,” adding, “Each dog is individual and each of our applicants are too.”
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They also confirmed the correct process had been followed, writing, “Yes, we have rehomed one of our dogs to [Stacey] and her family. Yes, she followed our adoption process, yes, she completed an application form, yes, her home was vetted, and no she did not adopt a dog in 24hours.”
Stacey later clarified her story on Instagram, admitting she had started talking to the charity not long after Theo passed away. And while fans were thrilled for Stacey and her family, many were left feeling deflated that she had misled them.
Either way, we're pretty sure the pup's going to love it at Pickle Cottage – welcome to the Solomon-Swash family, Teddy.