Last month, Lena Dunham shared on Instagram that she'd sent her beloved dog Lamby to a professional facility in Los Angeles due to his "challenging behavior and aggression that could not be treated with training or medication or consistent loving dog ownership."
She went on the explain that Lamby had "suffered terrible abuse" as a puppy and he couldn't live in a typical home environment as a result. Regardless of whether or not you're a fan of Dunham, the post was heartbreaking, especially for animal lovers among us.
Now, an employee at the Brooklyn shelter where Dunham adopted Lamby has disputed her claim that the dog was abused. BARC Shelter spokesman Robert Vazquez told Yahoo! via email that Lamby was "owner surrendered" and didn't have a history of abuse.
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“When she adopted the dog from us, it wasn’t crazy,” Vazquez told the outlet. “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."
Vasquez added that he'd been on site for Dunham's four visits before the adoption went through. “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 continued. “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 dogs.”
“It’s just hard to believe the dog was nasty when she took Lamby to every green room with her when Girls was still a thing 4 years ago," Vasquez added. He also criticised Dunham for recently getting two new dogs who appeared with her on The Tonight Show in February.
Dunham is no stranger to controversy and she's known for taking most criticism in stride, but she says this is one time she's not having it. Hours after the story broke, she responded to Vasquez's comments on Instagram:
"Why should this story be subject to scrutiny and anger? It is willfully misunderstanding the truth," Dunham wrote. "I hope those judging can imagine the incredible pain of letting go of your favorite creature on EARTH because you know you can't help them be healthy and happy. I have weathered a lot of micro-scandals but this one hurts MOST, because of the vulnerability of letting people know Lamby and my story, and because I miss him so damn much."
"I know I'm a lot of fun to place your issues on, but I won't let anyone hang their hat on this peg. Not this time," she concluded.
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