The Only Way Is Essex is in trouble with viewers over scenes they claim amount to animal abuse.
In last night’s show, James ‘Lockie’ Lock went shopping in a pet store… for a PUPPY.
Eugh, not (quite) illegal, but so very not cool.
Animal charities such as PETA have been campaigning for such practices to be stopped for years – and even the Government has called for a ban.
It’s widely considered that these pups are taken from their mothers at far too young an age.
As a nation of animal lovers, we take the welfare of our four-legged friends very seriously.
So it’s no surprise many people swooped on social media to express their alarm.
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Reality star and passionate animal rights campaigner Jodie Marsh was straight on Twitter to vent.
She angrily typed: “Why is #TOWIE supporting puppy farming by highlighting that awful pet shop?? @pupaid get involved!!! X x”
Another upset viewer said: “Promoting puppy farming? Disgusting #TOWIE’ and ‘#TOWIE at the lowest of the low supporting puppy farms buying from a shop that sells puppy’s. Disgusting!” [sic]
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One shouted: “NO NO NO NO NO… NEVER buy a dog from a pet shop. Probably come from a puppy farm. I’m outraged.”
Another wrote: “Dogs and cats, adopt don’t buy #TOWIE”
Yet more complaints came, including one from a viewer who pointed out: “I don’t understand why @ITVBe would support this! And a lot do the #TOWIE clan claim to be animal lovers! Did @JamesBennewith buy a pup??”
Lockie visited the shop with friends Diags and Tommy, with a view to getting a puppy for his new girlfriend Yazmin.