Lily Allen is defending herself amid intense online backlash following her revelation about returning a dog she adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The English singer-songwriter disclosed in an Instagram story on Sunday that she has received death threats and a flood of hateful messages after revealing that she returned the dog, Mary, to a shelter after the animal chewed up her family’s passports.

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In a recent episode of her podcast Miss Me?, Allen explained that while she had adopted Mary during the pandemic, the dog’s behavioral issues, including severe separation anxiety, led to the decision to rehome her. “Mary was a very poorly behaved dog, and I really tried hard with her, but when she ate our passports, that was the last straw,” Allen said on the podcast. This admission prompted widespread criticism, with many media outlets running negative stories.

Allen responded to the backlash, accusing the media of deliberately distorting her words to incite anger. “I’ve never been accused of mistreating an animal before, and this week has been very distressing,” she stated.

In her Instagram story, Allen elaborated that Mary’s separation anxiety made it challenging for her family to meet the dog’s needs. After consulting with a behavioral specialist and reflecting on the situation for several months, Allen decided to rehome Mary, emphasizing that the decision was made with the dog’s welfare in mind. “We couldn’t meet Mary’s needs, and her happiness and well-being were central to our decision, as difficult as it was,” Allen wrote.

The controversy has also attracted criticism from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), which posted a social media message condemning Allen’s decision. PETA also sent her a mechanical toy puppy as a sarcastic gesture. Allen responded by tagging PETA in her Instagram story, sarcastically thanking them for “adding fuel to the fire.”