The Only Way Is Essex left fans reeling this weekend – but this time, it was nothing to do with the drama between the feisty Megan McKenna and her ex, Pete Wicks. In fact, it has more to do with James Locke’s antics.
On Sunday night, viewers watched as James and his friends went shopping for a dog at a pet store. However, far from fawning over the puppies, the internet was fuming and claimed that ITVBe was ‘supporting puppy farming’ in the clip.
Many campaigners believe that purchasing pets this way is directly supporting breeders who do not truly care about the welfare of the animal. Charities like PETA claim that puppy farms usually sell their dogs to pet stores, and these breeders are less concerned about health and safety of the puppy, and more concerned with producing a vast number of puppies to make money.
However, it was glamour model Jodie Marsh who seemed most affected by the scene, and she took to Twitter to voice her concerns.
“Why is @OnlyWayIsEssex supporting puppy farming by highlighting that awful pet shop?? #TOWIE #Stoppuppyfarms @pupaid get involved!!! X x,” she tweeted.
Jodie was particularly upset by what she saw and began retweeting many fans of the show who shared her opinion.
And it seems there are plenty of people who agree with her. One user called the whole thing “wrong”, while another raged: “Buying a puppy on a whim! Being with someone 4 months a dog is for life 10yrs plus!! Band shops that sell puppies [sic]”
James Locke was visiting the shop to buy a dog for his girlfriend as a sign of his commitment to the relationship. While his friends mocked him for it, his fans are awaiting an explanation…
Did you see this moment in TOWIE? Did you think it was a harmless light-hearted scene, or do you feel it was supporting puppy farms? Let us know what you think @CloserOnline via Facebook or Twitter.
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