An animal charity has slammed Holly Willoughby after she handed back her birthday present
Last week Phillip Scofield gifted Holly Willoughby a basket of adorable pomeranian puppies for her 38th birthday - so cute in fact, that Holly broke into tears.
Sadly, Holly couldn't keep the tiny puppies as co-host Phil confirmed she would have to give them back at the end of the show.
But now an animal charity has slammed the TV presenters for the Birthday stunt.
Leading animal charity Dogs Trust have reminded viewers of the responsibility that comes with becoming a dog-owner.
“As our phrase goes ‘A dog is for life’ and it is important people remember that getting a pet is a lifelong commitment and that proper research should be done before making that decision." a spokesperson told The Mirror.
“We wouldn’t recommend giving pets as presents as unfortunately we know from handovers at our rehoming centres, many of these gifts are unwanted."
CHECK OUT celebs that are totally in love with their pets:
Celebs that love their pets
1 of 22Jack Fincham
Jack Fincham and Dani Dyer welcomed puppy Sandy into their relationship shortly after leaving the Love Island villa.
2 of 22Ariana Grande
Ariana Grande is known for her love of dogs. The U.S singer snuggles up to her beloved pooch in this cute snap.
3 of 22Binky Felstead
Binky Felstead's loyal pooch Scrumble has long been a part of her family - and nothing changed when she gave birth to her first daughter, India.
4 of 22Georgia Kousoulou
TOWIE'S golden couple Georgia Kousoulou and Tommy Mallett share cute pomeranian, Monkey in their Essex home.
5 of 22David Beckham
Victoria Beckham shared this adorable snap of hubby David snuggled under a plush Louis Vuitton blanket with pooch, Olive.
6 of 22Caroline Flack
Often papped walking her french bulldog around London, Caroline Flack isn't shy of making displays of affection with her much-loved dog, Ruby.
7 of 22Kady McDermott
Kady McDermott first got cutie Coby when she was dating Scott Thomas after the Love Island villa in 2016. Once they pair broke up, Coby stayed with mum Kady.
8 of 22David Walliams
David Walliams' dog Bert frequently features across his Instagram feed - and with that adorable, scruffy face it's no wonder he's a fan-favourite.
9 of 22Kate Wright
Kate was gifted cute Chihuahua Ronnie from ex-boyfriend Dan Edgar. Although Kate and Dan are no longer close, the TOWIE star still has sweet little Ronnie.
10 of 22Louise Thompson
Louise Thompson and fiancé Ryan Libbey have been sending fans wild with their adorable snaps of King Charles Cavalier spaniel, Koji.
11 of 22Saint West
The Kardashian family are known for their love of animals - and it looks like the younger generation are taking this on board. Saint West was spotted walking one of Kim's adorable dogs.
12 of 22Lucy Watson
Animal rights campaigner and vegan, Lucy Watson often features her adorable pooch on her Instagram. It's fair to say we're head over heels for him.
13 of 22Royal Family
Kate Middleton and Prince William posed for their first family portrait with eldest son, George when he was a newborn in 2011. Family spaniel, Lupo was rightfully included.
14 of 22Megan McKenna
Megan McKenna often shares her adoration for cute dog, Daisy with fans on social media. We're totally obsessed with the cute pup.
15 of 22Pete Wicks
Pete Wicks adore his furry friends - and has often been outspoken in standing up for animal rights. During his stint on Bear Grylls' Celebrity Island his beliefs even landed him in hot water with the other celebs.
16 of 22Olivia Buckland
Olivia Buckland shares dogs, Winnie and Reggie with husband Alex Bowen. The happy family live in a luxurious Essex home.
17 of 22Vogue Williams
Vogue Williams and Spencer Matthews live in a luxurious London apartment with their sweet baby, Theodore and cute dog Winston.
18 of 22Queen Elizabeth II
And no one loves animals more than the royals. The Queen is famous for her love of adorable pet corgis.
19 of 22Tanya Bardsley
Real Housewives of Cheshire star Tanya Bardsley was horrified when her English Bulldog Buzz was stolen off the streets. Luckily they found him and he's now back in the fold being as cute as ever.
20 of 22Lauren Pope
Expectant mum Lauren Pope did the most low-key gender reveal ever when she posed heavily pregnant with her Frenchie puppy Cookie and captioned the post "Just me and my girls". She also calls impossibly adorable Cookie her "first born" and we can't with the cuteness.
21 of 22Mrs Hinch
When Mrs Hinch, AKA cleanfluencer Sophie Hinchcliffe reached 2M Instagram followers, she celebrated by posing for a family pic with her hubby and pampered pooch Henry.
22 of 22Holly-Willoughby
Let's hear it for the cats, shall we? Holly's gorgeous ragdoll cat Bluebell is the stuff of fluffy dreams and we love her.
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The spokesperson continued, “If you have made the decision to get a puppy, we would definitely recommend it gets lots of socialisation, so they are comfortable around people and other animals; however it is also important to be mindful that due to their age, they will also need to rest more frequently, so should always have access to a comfortable area or bed they can retreat to when tired."
And some fans have criticized the stunt, too.
One fan questioned, "Why did Phil not get a rescue you cried over the week before?"
Another said, "I don’t like how they were all squished together in a tiny box then wheeled in and out like they were a dish of food 😢poor doggies , they must have been scared 😦 poor little babies 😭😢separated from their Mum and shoved in a box 📦"
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