Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Love Island’s Molly-mae & Tommy in dog cruelty row
Couple devastated as celeb vet calls for probe into pet tragedy
THE founder of Lucy’s Law is calling for a probe into the death of a puppy belonging to Love Island stars Tommy Fury and Molly-mae Hague.
The couple yesterday revealed their heartache after their Pomeranian puppy Mr Chai died days after he was flown in from Russia.
They used a Cheshire breeder called Tiffany Chihuahuas to arrange the transfer of Mr Chai. Its dogs sell for up to £5,000.
Celebrity vet Marc Abraham was behind the Mirror-backed Lucy’s Law campaign, which makes it illegal for third party dealers, including pet shops and online traders, to sell puppies.
He said: “The Government has made it quite clear with Lucy’s Law you can’t sell a puppy without it having been seen with its mum in the place where it is born.” Last night Molly-mae wept on a Youtube video as she insisted the dog travelling from Russia was not the reason why he died.
She said following tests carried out on their pet: “Yes, if we had our chance again we wouldn’t have imported from Russia.
“The autopsy results showed his skull wasn’t fully developed and part of his brain was exposed. He didn’t have a single white blood cell in his body.
“While we understand everyone’s opinions about him being shipped over from Russia, you need to understand this is not what made that baby dog pass away. That’s not what made him die. He was going to die regardless.”
Elena Katerova, who runs the breeders, denies breaking rules and says she has “legitimate partners, family and resources in Russia”, and that clients see the mother and pup via videos.
She said: “I’m truly devastated to learn about the death of Mr Chai.
“He was a beautiful young dog with a loving, playful temperament. I’d watched him grow up, having regular video calls with his birth family.
“My heart goes out to Molly-mae and Tommy. Mr Chai was a healthy dog.
“I only work with trusted people and have a small network of reputable breeders who care for their dogs to the very highest standards and see animals as part of their family.”
In 2018, Ms Katerova was in court after a client paid £5,000 for a Pomeranian called Bella then discovered she had a metal splint in one leg. Jane Martin was refunded but refused to return the puppy, saying: “I made it clear I was willing to pay an appropriate price but this was declined.”
Ms Katerova admitted the puppy had broken a leg but accused Ms Martin of trying to get it cheaply. Ms Martin was ordered to pay £1,201 and in a counter-claim, Ms Katerova was ordered to pay £927 to Ms Martin.
Tommy Fury got Mr Chai for Mollymae’s 21st birthday and the dog’s Instagram account had 148,000 followers.
The law is named after Lucy, a Cavalier King Charles spaniel who was rescued from a puppy farm where she was subjected to terrible conditions.