Actress Lena Dunham’s story about her former dog, Lamby, isn’t matching up with reports from the shelter.
Dunham announced in a June 21 Instagram post that Lamby is currently at Zen Dog, a dog rehabilitation center in Los Angeles. She said that though she tried "training or medication or consistent, loving dog ownership," Lamby's temperament was poor. Dunham alleged that the dog was abused before she adopted him from BARC, a no-kill shelter in Brooklyn.
BARC spokesman Robert Vazquez disputed the claim in an email to Yahoo Celebrity.
"When she adopted the dog from us, it wasn't crazy," Vazquez said. "I have pictures of the dog loving on Lena and her mom, which is weird if the dog was abused. It wouldn't be cuddling with her or be in the bed with her 'boyfriend' in the pages of Vogue."
Vazquez said that the shelter would have been forthcoming with such information.
“If Lamby had a bad past or was abused, do you think BARC would have adopted him to Lena knowing she’s a new star and put her — or the dog — in that situation?” he said. “We would have told her if the dog had issues. We are a no-kill shelter. We don’t lie about the dogs’ histories because that gets them returned — and mentally it’s not good for the dogs.”
Related: Lena Dunham reveals the heartbreaking reason she had to give up her beloved dog Lamby
Zen Dog owner Matt Beisner told The Cut in a June interview that Lamby was a "hot mess and a train wreck" when he arrived. According to the story, the dog was heavily medicated, drinking his own urine and had a poor temperament.
Beisner reacted to Dunham’s post, saying that the “bigger picture” was not being considered.
“People get dogs because it’s about them, rather than it being about the dog. We do what we can, and at the end of the day, it has to be about what’s best for the dog and the owner,” Beisner said.
Dunham refuted BARC’s statement in another Instagram post, saying that she loved Lamby and missed him.
“It's come to my attention that the staff at the shelter where I adopted Lamby have a very different account of his early life and behavioral issues than I do. While I'm sorry to have disappointed them, I can't apologize,” Dunham wrote in the post. “Lamby was and is one of the great loves of my life. When I met him I knew we'd have an amazing journey. But his aggression -- which was unpredictable -- and his particular issues, which remain myriad, weren't manageable, at least not by me. I did what I thought the best mother would do, which was to give him a life that provided for his specific needs. He'd been with me for nearly four years and I was his mom- I was in the best position to discern what those needs were.”
Dunham said that she ultimately gave her dog away “after countless hours of training, endless financial support and a lot of tears,” adding that she continues to support him financially.
According to the actress, Lamby is “notably happier in his new surroundings.”
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