A storm in a teacup or a fair accusation?
An ad featuring Katy Perry has been pulled in Australia after it sparked concerns over animal welfare.
The singer features in the ad for Myer One, a department store, to promote the Australian leg of her Witness world tour.
In the ad, Katy encourages her teacup poodle Nugget to “go chase some koalas.”
It sparked anger from one Aussie vet, who said she was “sickened”, as she treats many koalas who have been viciously attacked by dogs.
“This is just absolute ignorance from Perry and Myer, and inappropriate on so many levels,” vet and reality TV star Claire Madden told the Courier Mail newspaper.
In response to the outcry, Myer said it has pulled the ad.“We are aware of comments in relation to Katy Perry’s Witness: The Tour advertisement and a particular reference made to koalas. We are currently removing the material which references koalas,” it said in a statement.Koala numbers are falling in Australia – the Australian Koala Foundation estimates there are fewer than 100,000 koalas left in the wild, while the Queensland RSPCA told the BBC that a quarter of the koalas it rescues are victims of dog attacks.RELATED ARTICLES
We need to realise that women’s sport is strong, valuable… and worth celebrating
By Gillian Fitzpatrick
COMMENT Tuam’s tiny victims had no voice then – which is why we must shout for them now
By Gillian Fitzpatrick
Galway is getting a penguinarium! (*the entire country books tickets to Galway)
By Gillian Fitzpatrick
MORE FROM HER
MORE FROM HER