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Lucy Jeong

Pets are said to be people’s best friends, and many pet owners have strong feelings for their furry friends. Many Korean celebs like to splurge on luxurious gifts for their pets, and some get praised for setting a good example by adopting abandoned dogs.
On the other hand, some have faced controversies over their pets – as popular and influential as they are.
Here are just a few times K-pop idols sparked online debates over their fluffy companions.
Blackpink’s Lisa was accused of being an “animal hoarder”

On August 7, when Blackpink’s Lisa introduced a Doberman puppy named Love to her “L family”, it caused quite a stir on the internet. As Lisa already has six cats – Leo, Luca, Lily, Louis and Lego, counting breeds like Scottish fold, ragdoll, British shorthair and Abyssinian – some fans did not happily welcome the news.
Pedigreed cats are vulnerable to genetic diseases as they are bred in a highly selective way. On top of that, abandoned pets and the emergence of dog factories to meet the demand in pet shops have given rise to the ongoing “Adopt Don’t Shop” movement in Korea, prompting animal lovers to question Lisa’s decision to get a Doberman.
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These criticisms contrasted with fans’ praise for Rosé, Lisa’s bandmate, when she adopted an abandoned pup named Hank, writing “special breed” instead of mixed breed on its Instagram page @hank_says_hank.
Others, however, have no issue with Lisa as long as she takes good care of her pets, with netizens making comments like, “Guys, it’s Lisa’s money, she can raise them well,”according to KpopStarz.
Aespa’s Winter raised eyebrows over her treatment of her pets

Many idols from SM Entertainment use the agency’s Bubble app, which enables them to chat with their fans online. On August 31, Aespa’s Winter revealed via the app that she used to raise hamsters – but fans were less than thrilled about this glimpse into the star’s life.
Why the cold response? According to Allkpop, Winter recounted, “I had 25 hamsters when I was in school. I definitely started with just two, but their relationship was really good.”
She continued, “When they’re just born, they’re really cute. Just babies. Then I decided to only raise one of them that was kind of sick.” This got people asking about the remaining 24 hamsters and questioning her basic knowledge of raising pets. For instance, hamsters have to be kept separate due to their rapid reproduction rate.

Video of Aespa Winter abusing, harassing, and yelling at a stranger's cat, Knetz react https://t.co/3fYBgufMDF pic.twitter.com/F1nPFlsQAY
— PANN KPOP (@pannkpop) August 25, 2021

That wasn’t the only time the star faced backlash over her treatment of animals. When Winter shared a video of a cat on Bubble on August 25, people pointed out that she was too rough when petting the feline’s face and that she was also loudly mimicking the “meow” sound, which made the cat scurry away in surprise.
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G-Dragon was taken to task for mistreating his dogs

Given the busy schedules of K-pop idols, many of them opt for a family pet that others can take care of while they are away. But when fans heard that G-Dragon’s dogs were sent to a hotel run by his parents and apparently neglected, the popular K-pop star could not avoid criticism.
Around June 2020, a picture was uploaded online, showing G-Dragon’s shar peis – Gaho and Jolie – with overgrown nails and living inside fenced-off enclosures. Fans recognised the dogs as Gaho had appeared in G-Dragon’s music video Breathe in 2009 and in other TV shows and award ceremonies, according to Korea Times.


As the news spread, fans demanded a response and the manager of the hotel eventually said that the dogs’ long nails had been taken care of. But later, fans heard that Jolie had gone missing through a fence that was left open. Neither YG Entertainment nor G-Dragon responded to the issue.
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Super Junior’s Choi Si-won has a bulldog that’s a serial biter

Celebrities’ pets often become stars of their own, and Choi Si-won’s bulldog named Bugsy is one such example, even inspiring Choi to start a brand featuring cute bulldog character designs.
However, the star made headlines – and not in a good way – when his bulldog bit his neighbour in October 2017; unfortunately, the neighbour died of sepsis three days later.
It wasn’t the first time that Bugsy’s biting issue was pointed out to Choi. Choi’s bandmate Leeteuk once said in his Instagram post that Bugsy had bitten him as well, as reported by AllKpop. Choi and his family also received harsh criticism for not putting Bugsy on a leash despite these previous biting incidents.

According to Korea Times, Choi’s family was fined 50,000 Korean won (around US$44) for the death of his neighbour and Choi uploaded an apology: “I sincerely express my sorrow over the deceased and her bereaved family. I have been deeply remorseful for carelessness that caused a tremendous accident.”
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The victim’s family decided not to take legal action after Choi showed his sincerity, and the star reportedly made multiple visits in person to apologise further.
Super Junior’s Kim Hee-chul’s comment on strays landed him in trouble

With the influence these stars have, their every word is closely scrutinised. So when Heechul from Super Junior said, “Animal specialists never recommend adoption of strays to first-time pet owners” on the JTBC TV show Petkage on August 26, he faced immediate backlash, according to Korea Times.
KARA, an animal activist group, responded that such remarks could “spread the misconception that stray animals are difficult companions”, and the star also received negative comments from fans for his words.

In response to the criticism, Heechul later posted on his social media that his original message got twisted, and he meant to say that, “It’s hard to take care of a rescued dog as a first-time pet owner. Love is not enough. It’s about raising them with enough knowledge and information,” according to Kpophit.
JTBC also issued a statement on August 31 saying that the responsibility of pet owners was not portrayed as the production team had hoped. Heechul also publicly stated that he would be taking legal action against those who continued to make malicious comments on the matter.
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K-pop idols G-Dragon, Blackpink’s Lisa and Super Junior’s Heechul all faced controversy over their pets. Photos: GDTV; @lalalalisa_m, @kimheenim/Instagram

Blackpink’s Lisa owns six cats. Photo: @lalalalisa_m/Instagram

Aespa’s Winter donning a cat ear headband. Photo: @aespa_official/Twitter

G-Dragon with one of his dogs. Photo: GDTV

Super Junior member Choi Si-won’s bulldog Bugsy might look cute, but it’s apparently fiercer than it looks. Photo: @choibugsy/Twitter

Choi Si-won’s bulldog, Bugsy, has been criticised for being a serial biter. Photo: @siwonchoi/Twitter

Super Junior’s Kim Hee-chul. Photo: @kimheenim/Instagram

A capture from the show Petkage, where Kim Hee-chul spoke about abandoned dogs. Photo: JTBC

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Blackpink’s Rosé was praised for adopting abandoned dog Hank – who’s now Insta-famous – but fans criticised Lisa for getting a new Doberman when she already has six cats
Bugsy, the bulldog of Super Junior’s Choi Si-won, inspired its own fashion brand, but it also came under fire for biting Choi’s neighbour and even his bandmate Leeteuk


While some K-stars are praised for their treatment of animals, Blackpink’s Lisa was accused of ‘animal hoarding’ while G-Dragon seemingly neglected his dogs ...
