16 & Pregnant’s Whitney Purvis loses dog Chumpy after rescue shelter gives him away?!

One of our favorite 16 and Pregnant stars of all time is at the center of a huge controversy. No, I’m not talking about Whitney Purvis (who is actually another of our favorites), but her makeup-eating, escape-prone dog Chumpy!

It seems Chumpy’s escaping ways are what caused the whole mess, as the little Boston Terrier ran away from home late last month while Whitney was on vacation, which set off a rather unfortunate chain of events that resulted in Chumpy being adopted by another family before Whitney could get him back — according to Whitney.

Whitney claims that neighbors were watching the Chumpster while she as away on vacation, reports TMZ. There is a bit of a discrepancy on her timeline, however, as animal control says they picked up Chumpy on September 23, and Whitney reportedly didn’t leave for vacation until the 24.

Animal control held Chumpy for the required three days before passing him along to an organization called Boston Terrier Rescue East Tennessee (BTRET). After being contacted by TMZ about Chumpy’s case, BTRET issued the following statement (we added the Chumpy photo):

We’d like to elaborate on a recent accusation about our rescue since so much inaccurate and misleading information has developed. We feel we should offer the truth and set the record straight to those who have only heard the other side of this issue.

Several weeks ago, BTRET was asked to take a dog from a shelter where he had been waiting for five days for his family to claim him. No one came during the mandatory hold period, and no one called asking about him. BTRET was alerted of this dog and was asked to take him in order to save his life. State and Floyd County Georgia law is clear, and is always followed precisely.

The dog was not neutered or microchipped or tagged. We neutered, microchipped and vaccinated him at a veterinary clinic and when he was deemed in good health, he was shortly thereafter adopted by a loving family.

One individual has since contacted us claiming to be the owner of the dog and provided some information; yet another individual has claimed to be the original owner. To this date no other information, such as additional photos, veterinary records or licensing showing proof of ownership, has been provided.
The dog is with his new family and no longer belongs to Boston Terrier Rescue of East Tennessee.

BTRET has taken in thousands of homeless Boston Terriers, Boston Terrier mixes, and other breeds for more than a decade. As a non-profit and strictly volunteer-run rescue, we’ve pushed through economic depression, hardship and other events to continue toward our goal of ensuring dogs in our care are never homeless again.

In rescue, accusations will always present themselves, and with them often comes considerable, unmerited hate.

Please stand with us as we continue to support the things that matter most – keeping dogs safe, protected and cared for in a time of need, and finding forever homes for those dogs.

Someone named Lee Stevens lashed out against BTRET with a Facebook post claiming that they not only “stole” Chumpy, but have a history of similar tactics.

BTRET responded:

There are some details about this issue that are better off left unsaid. We have no interest in embarrassing the individual who claimed to be the owner. She was given ample opportunity and encouraged to provide any kind of proof, vet rocords, anything to make that case. Someone, either her or someone on her behalf asked a website called TMZ to run a story on it, and they fairly came to us for our comments. We did our job as a rescue and you may read their posting on their website if you wish. Similiarly, this individual had some unfortunate coaching by others aimed not at advancing her cause but rather at retaliating at East TN. We don’t know all the details but our mission is rescue, not the entertainment of some mean spirited individuals.

Meanwhile, Whitney seems to have accepted that Chumpy, who she has had for seven years, is gone. She posted this next photo of Chumpy on Instagram with the caption, “I’ll never forget you, old friend.”

Noooooooooooooo! Don’t give up Whitney!! I would have to assume that most people who recently adopted a 7-year-old dog who found out days later that the original owner wanted him/her back would happily oblige. Right?

🙁

As an ode to Chumpy, here are some of my favorite Chumpy pics from Whitney — and believe me, there were TONS to choose from!

On a side note, I barely even recognized Whitney in her latest photo! She has lightened her hair and is looking pretty fandamntastic: