It’s another scandal for Lena Dunham!
Apparently, the animal shelter where the Girls creator adopted her former dog Lamby is disputing claims she made about the pup’s “challenging behavior and aggression” which stemmed from the animal’s supposed past of being abused. Huh.
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Back in June, Miz Dunham revealed she had to send Lamby away after his behavior had gotten too much for her to handle. The A-lister explained on Instagram:
A lot of you have been asking where Lamby is these days since he’s always been the star of my gram and I’ve been posting pics of my poodle girls. Well, you know honesty is my jam but this one has been really heartbreaking to talk about. But I feel I have to share that last March, after four years of challenging behavior and aggression that could not be treated with training or medication or consistent loving dog ownership, Lamby went to live at an amazing professional facility in Los Angeles @matt_thezendog where an awesome person named @therealdanishay (who is educated in a rescue dog’s specific trauma) loves him so hard. Lamby suffered terrible abuse as a pup that made having him in a typical home environment dangerous to him and others- we needed to be responsible to ourselves, our neighbors and especially our beloved boy. Jack and I will miss him forever but sometimes when you love something you have to let it go (especially when it requires tetanus shots and stitches.) Someday I’ll really write about the pain and relief of letting Lamby go off and really be Lamby, biting and peeing in his own mouth and all. There were so many lessons in it, about forgiving myself and loving with an open palm and giving in to a larger plan. Shout out to @jennikonner for listening to endless hours of Lamby pain, and especially my partner @jackantonoff for loving him even when he ruined floors and couches and our life. Jack knows what Lamby means to me and he let me come to the decision in my own time even when it made his days challenging. Susan & Karen will never be my first loves, but they are fuzzy and hilarious stuffing for the hole Lamby left and we cherish them deeply ├ó┬¥┬ñ├»┬╕┬Å#lamby #thefirstcutisthedeepest #foreverlamb PS If you have a similar situation, please know its possible to responsibly re-home your rescue rather than sending them back into the shelter system. It can require patience, diligence and often a financial contribution but there are solutions that leave everyone happy and safe. You will always have been your dog’s first stop outside shelter life and that’s beautiful.A post shared by Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on Jun 20, 2017 at 9:33pm PDT
Hmmmm. However BARC, the no-kill animal shelter that hooked up Lena and Lamby, defends there was nothing wrong with the dog when they introduced the 31-year-old to him. Robert Vazquez, a spokesman for the shelter, noted:
“When she adopted the dog from us, it wasn’t crazy. 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 ├óΓé¼╦£boyfriend’ in the pages of Vogue… 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 ├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ or the dog ├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ in that situation? 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 ├óΓé¼ΓÇ¥ and mentally it’s not good for the dogs.”
Oh snap. In typical Lena fashion, she was quick to respond to the controversy as she clapped back:
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. 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. After countless hours of training, endless financial support and a lot of tears he was given access to a better life. I still support him financially and I’ll always be there for him in every way but he’s notably happier in his new surroundings. Why should this story be subject to scrutiny and anger? It is willfully misunderstanding the truth. 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 would never say an unkind word about the staff of BARC, what they do is amazing and life saving for these animals- but we have different accounts of Lamby’s behavior and they were not present in my home nor did they live with him for an extended period. They did not witness the consistent and responsible care I provided. 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. This is the painting that greets me every day when I walk into my home. This is the animal who taught me about loving and letting go. 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.A post shared by Lena Dunham (@lenadunham) on Jul 6, 2017 at 5:36pm PDT
Well this has turned into one super weird feud. So where is Lamby now? It’s said the pup ended up at The Zen Dog rehabilitation center in El Lay before finding a new home. And it appears as though this facility is siding with Lena in the drama as they claim Lamby was a “hot mess” when he arrived.
Zen Dog owner Matt Beisner relayed to People:
“As I read what Lena has shared publicly, and the reactions to her posts, it seems to me that people don’t understand or are not considering the bigger picture. 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.”
In regards to Lamby’s behavior upon arriving at Zen Dog, Beisner says the pup was heavily medicated, had a bad temperament, and was even drinking his own urine. Ugh.
A source has since added that Lena took Lamby to at least six vets, all of whom concluded the dog suffered from “past abuse” and even speculated that the animal could have brain damage. Nonetheless, Vazquez says he checked Lamby’s records and saw there was no mention of “multiple owners that abused the dog” — a notion Dunham made in a 2013 New Yorker piece.
What a dramatic situation. But, at the end of the day, we’re just happy Lamby’s found a new home!
[Image via Instagram.]
