PETA is calling out Kim Kardashian after she gifted each of her four children their own puppy for Christmas.
In a statement shared with PEOPLE on Sunday, Dec. 28, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) founder Ingrid Newkirk spoke out about Kim's gifts to her children: North, 12, Saint, 10, Chicago, 7, and Psalm, 6, all of whom she shares with ex-husband Kanye West.
"Puppies are not plushies, and it’s a damn shame that Kim missed the chance to be a spokesperson for shelter pups and instead is being rightly slammed on social media for that," Newkirk said.
Newkirk also advocated for Kim, 45, and her sister Khloé Kardashian — who also gifted a dog to her family for Christmas — to "call PETA or a local shelter the next time" they want to add another dog to their family.
"[They can] try to make some amends now by sending their kids to volunteer at a local shelter or paying for a local shelter adopt-a-thon or at least one spay day to help stop the growing homeless puppy crisis," the PETA founder said.
A representative for Kim Kardashian did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for comment.
Kim shared a series of Instagram Stories on Christmas, revealing that her family has grown to include four small Pomeranian puppies: two with dark fur, one with a cream coat, and one with sable fur.
On a photo of all four dogs together, Kim wrote, "Each kid got a puppy."
Khloé, 41, also shared photos of a black Labrador retriever puppy on her Instagram Stories on Dec. 25, revealing her family got the dog as a Christmas gift.
Kim and her children have posted photos of their pet lizards over the years, including a bearded dragon named Speed. They also have several other Pomeranians, including two that joined the family in 2019. Kim additionally has a Pomeranian named Sushi.
The Kardashian-Jenner family as a whole has acquired a number of pets over the years, including dogs, cats, reptiles and even horses. Kylie Jenner, Kim and Khloé's youngest sibling, has a multitude of dogs, while sister Kendall Jenner owns a horse named Arizona.
