Jennifer Lawrence responds after backlash over ‘getting rid’ of her dog

Jennifer Lawrence says she rehomed her dog after having kids, ‘dogs became so scary’ and she saw them as a threat

Jennifer Lawrence is facing online criticism after explaining why she rehomed her beloved dog, saying her decision was driven by safety concerns for her children, and she’s unfiltered in her response.

The Hunger Games star revealed during a Q&A after a screening of her new film Die My Love that she and husband Cooke Maroney gave their Chihuahua, Princess Pippi Longstocking, to her parents after welcoming their kids. Lawrence said about the dog’s new situation, “She's alive, she's with my parents. She did not like New York. I lived on 1st and 67th just to be near the park for her.”

But what really sparked conversation was how Lawrence described her shift in perspective on dogs after becoming a parent. She said, “After I had a kid, dogs became so scary, like my son’s going up to it, and it’s almost like I don’t recognize dogs right now. I just see them as a threat.”

Lawrence didn’t sugarcoat how that fear took hold, recounting a frightening moment that changed her instinctive reactions, “One of them bit my son, and that just made me want to obliterate every dog ever.”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jpe988snAyA

Her hyperbolic, visceral way of describing her reaction, joking that the bite made her feel like she’d want to “obliterate every dog”, has been central to the backlash online, where some critics feel she spoke too harshly about animals. Others, however, have defended her, noting that many parents reassess risks once they have young children and that rehoming the dog with family, rather than surrendering it to a shelter, was a thoughtful choice.

Lawrence also briefly touched on why she’s become more of a cat person, joking about her cat Fred’s “misunderstood” personality, a lighter aside amid the more serious feelings she shared about safety and parenting.