Kaley Cuoco found herself at the center of a heated debate after opening up about the painful decision to re-home her long-time pet dog, Shirley.
In a heartfelt Instagram video posted on Monday, November 25, the Big Bang Theory star shared the reason behind her choice to find a new home for the pitbull mix.
She also revealed that the furry companion, who lived at the new home for years, had recently passed away from aggressive bone cancer.
Highlights
- Kaley Cuoco sparked heated discussions over her decision to re-home her long-time pet dog, Shirley.
- The Big Bang Theory star said Shirley would have “mega fights” with her fiancé’s dog.
- Shirley, who had been part of Kaley’s life since she was six weeks old, recently passed away at 14 from aggressive bone cancer.
- Fans had mixed reactions, with some aggressively criticizing her decision while others showed support.
Kaley Cuoco opened up about re-homing her beloved pitbull, Shirley, after years of companionship
Image credits: Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
Image credits: Max
The actress, known for her love of animals, explained that Shirley had been part of her life since she was just six weeks old. However, things took a dramatic turn when her fiancé and actor, Tom Pelphrey, moved in with his German Shepherd, Blue.
What began as a joyful chapter in her life quickly became fraught with tension, as Shirley and Blue began engaging in what Kaley described as “mega fights.”
“Most of you know I had [Shirley] for many, many, many years,” said the 38-year-old actress.
“All of a sudden, you kind of stopped seeing her," she continued, "and I started to get a lot of questions as to where she was, because it’s very unlike me to just stop posting about a dog that I’ve had since she was 6 weeks old.”
The Big Bang Theory star said Shirley would have "mega fights" with her fiancé's dog
Image credits: kaleycuoco
The Hollywood star, who shares 19-month-old daughter Matilda with her fiancé, also mentioned that the pitbull mix would fight, not only with Blue, but with other dogs as well.
“Long story short, she’s a very special dog to me, as you all know,” she shared.
“And when the love of my life came into my life, Tom, who is also a mega dog lover,” she continued, “and he moved across the country with his beautiful German Shepherd, Blue, a couple years ago, unfortunately, Blue and Shirley started getting into some mega fights.”
Shirley was "determined to kill” Blue, she added.
Shirley, who had been part of Kaley’s life since she was six weeks old, lived a long and cherished life before passing away at 14 from aggressive bone cancer
Image credits: kaleycuocoweb
As she feared for the safety of both dogs and others, the actress said she made the excruciating decision to re-home Shirley with her pet handler, Tony, and his wife, Angie, who had been taking care of the dog for years before her recent death.
“She got a very aggressive bone cancer that came on very quickly,” she said.
Kaley tearfully reflected on Shirley’s long life, saying, “She was almost 14 years old, which is an unbelievable life for a dog. And I just wanted to share her story and what we had to do.”
Although the Flight Attendant actress said the decision to re-home Shirley was best for everyone, including the pet, her confession sparked outrage among some social media users.
Critics accused Kaley of prioritizing her relationship over her pet and sparked debates about pet ownership and loyalty
Image credits: kaleycuoco
Many argued that the dog deserved to remain part of Kaley’s family, regardless of the challenges.
“One day he’ll be out her life and she’s going to regret that she made that choice,” one said.
“If your boyfriend brought his kid into your home, would you give away his kid or yours if they didn’t get along?” another ranted. “There’s not a shot in hell I would give away my dog for any bf. Poor Shirley was never considered family; she was just a disposable animal!”
Another wrote, “There’s no way I would give up my dog for some new dude and his dog. Dumps dog for new guy and his dog.” Another said, “Why didn’t the boyfriend give up his dog? Why didn’t they put both dogs through a training/ behavioural program?”
Kaley tearfully recounted Shirley’s story, saying the decision was made with the dog’s safety and happiness in mind
Kaley has been deeply involved in the world of animal welfare, particularly in advocating for dogs. She is a co-founder of Oh Norman!, which sells pet products and donates a portion of the profits to help rescue dogs.
In the U.S., approximately 20% of pets are returned to the original shelter within six months of their initial adoption, according to WorldAnimalFoundation.org.
One of the reasons behind this is that new adopters are unprepared for pet ownership. Dog owners have also cited aggressive behavior as one of the reasons they give their pets back to shelters.
Amid the outrage, a number of fans came to Kaley's defense and understood her decision to re-home Shirley
