Pete Davidson remains in the spotlight even months after his previous relationship with reality TV star Kim Kardashian ended.
While Kim has mentioned her ex sparingly during The Kardashians Season 3, Davidson made headlines before he was set to host Saturday Night Live for handing out pizzas during the writers strike.
The 29-year-old comedian and actor didn’t get to host due to the ongoing strike and mostly stayed in the headlines for his new Hulu show, Bupkis. However, he has received backlash over a recent purchase, as Davidson visited a pet store with his current girlfriend.
Critics went after Davidson for buying a dog with his girlfriend from the store rather than adopting a dog or getting one from a rescue center.
The couple made the purchase at Citipups in New York City, which says they have been “Pairing People with Pups for Over 35 Years.”
That led to plenty of people calling out the King of Staten Island star for his purchase, with online commenters describing Davidson’s decision as “disgusting” and “gross.”
Video surfaces of Pete Davidson buying a dog from NYC pet store
In a video from Page Six credited to the @citipupsync Instagram page, Davidson and his girlfriend, Chase Sui Wonders, appear behind the counter at Citipups as they are presumably making their purchase.
The quick clip shows Davidson and his girlfriend talking with a man behind the counter, with Davidson nodding as he listens. The video closes with a shot of a black cat lying on the counter playing with a toy.
Citiipup’s video has since disappeared from their Instagram Story and doesn’t appear in any of their IG page’s posts or Reels.
According to Page Six, Davidson purchased a Cavapoo, a mixed dog breed that CitiPups describes as “a cross between the Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Poodle dog breeds.”
The pet store, which has locations in West Village and Chelsea, indicates they have “fewer barriers than certain rescue organizations,” which might reject potential owners from acquiring a dog. Some of the barriers Citipups mentions that rescue organizations might have are “experience, housing, income, children,” and other reasons.
Citipups also mentions on its website that all pups sold at its stores include up-to-date vaccines, a microchip, a free vet check, a congenital health warranty, and a 24/7 hotline for owner assistance.
Based on a report via People, Davidson lost a puppy in early May. The SNL alum talked about the difficulty of the loss due to the dog’s impact on his and his family’s lives.
“My mom, sister and I got Henry at the beginning of the pandemic and he saved our lives. Not sure id even be around without him,” Davidson wrote, also saying he and his family were left “broken” following the dog’s death.
Critics call out Davidson for his pet store purchase
With Page Six also sharing an Instagram photo and post (below) about Davidson’s purchase, more than a few commenters expressed their disapproval of him buying the dog at a pet store rather than adopting.
“Adopt! Don’t shop,” one commenter wrote with a sad emoji.
“Buying a dog??? Gross!” another said, adding, “I didn’t even know that those sort of pet shops were still legal.”
Another individual called it “disgusting,” while another commenter joked, “Kim must be having such a bad day!!!”
Additional outraged commenters called out Davidson and his girlfriend for being “out of touch” in 2023. One commenter tagged Davidson’s girlfriend and criticized the couple for not getting a dog from a shelter or rescue center.
“No better than most celebrities. F all the wonderful dogs including young dogs and puppies in shelters and rescues right dogs are being euthanized just for space everyday yet you need to buy and line pet store/puppy mill scum’s pockets huh gross,” the commenter said.
Davidson and his girlfriend have yet to show off the new dog
It’s currently unknown if Davidson was buying the dog as the sole owner or if he and his girlfriend, 27-year-old actress Chase Sui Wonders, plan to share the new dog. As of this writing, neither have shared any photos or videos of the dog nor commented about its name.
Davidson tends to remain nonexistent online, previously mentioning his disinterest and dislike regarding using social media and interacting with others. His girlfriend, whom Davidson co-starred with in the film Bodies, Bodies, Bodies, is active on Instagram but has also kept their relationship private on social media.
Last month, she posted a video clip promoting Davidson’s Hulu show Bupkis, which she has also appeared in with him.
Due to Pete seeming to maintain his privacy, he’s likely to keep the new puppy off social media. However, his girlfriend may find it hard to resist posting a snap or two of their new four-legged friend and family member.