I sympathise with Lily Allen on untenable pets – I love my cats but I don’t see how I can keep them | Michele Theil

The pop star ran into unfair flak when she rehomed her dog because of its behavioural issues. I face the same dilemma

Last week, the pop star Lily Allen was viciously criticised on social media after it was revealed that she had rehomed her dog Mary - after Mary ate her and her children's passports. The animal rights charity Peta published an open letter accusing Allen of treating her dog like an accessory to be discarded when they become inconvenient". Allen tried to put the event in context, saying that the passport eating was the final straw in a series of incidents stemming from the dog's severe behavioural issues.

While I understand the natural impulse to say that Allen is a monster" for rehoming Mary, I have sympathy for her. Having a pet is a big responsibility, and one we should always take seriously, but when a pet has such extreme behavioural issues that it can't seem to live and thrive in your home, it's OK to ask whether it might be better off elsewhere.