Katie Price and Lee Andrews have made a terrible mistake with their new puppy

Something I learned the hard way when I became a certified dog trainer in my early 20s is that a dog an owner loves the look of and a dog they choose because their life is actually compatible with the dog’s needs are often two different things.

Katie Price and Lee Andrews’ latest addition – a puppy they say is a Pomsky, a Pomeranian-Husky cross – immediately set alarm bells ringing in my head.

Not simply because Katie’s long and deeply troubling history with animals has already left many people questioning whether she should own pets at all, but because this particular breed, or at least the breed it appears to be, may be one of the worst possible matches for their lifestyle.

Looking at the puppy, it’s difficult not to notice that it bears an uncanny resemblance to a young purebred Husky. But whether it is a Husky or a Pomsky is almost beside the point.

Importantly, crossing a Husky with a Pomeranian doesn’t magically delete the Husky half of its temperament. And in some cases, mixes can inherit the most demanding traits of both breeds, with the companionship needs of a Pomeranian layered on top of the relentless energy and independence of a Husky.

They’re stunning dogs. They’re also escape artists, endurance athletes, amateur opera singers, and professional chaos merchants if their needs aren’t being met.

When I worked with dogs, dog owners would routinely bring me young huskies and young husky mixes to train, and my heart would sink.

They would launch into long lists of the undesirable behaviours their dog was displaying — everything from howling at all hours to literally chewing the dry wall — only for me to eventually interrupt them and ask: ‘How many hours of excercise and mental stimulation is this dog getting a day?’

Often, owners would proudly tell me they walked the dog for 30 minutes in the morning and evening. I would then have to break the news to them that their new furry friend was unlikely to behave desirably with any less than triple that amount of exercise and mental stimulation.

Which is exactly why animal shelters are so often teeming with huskies and husky mixes surrendered by dog owners who got in way over their heads with a breed they knew nothing about.

In a statement, which was shared with Metro, Peta UK’s Senior Vice President Mimi Bekhechi said: ‘Is there no low to which Katie Price will not stoop? 

‘While one of her cats, Doris, is reportedly still missing, instead of being worried sick and out searching for her, as any caring, responsible guardian would, she has flown to another country and acquired a new dog, as easily as one replaces a pair of socks.’

They continued: ‘A Pomsky of all animals, in the Dubai heat, to add insult to injury. How many animals have been lost, discarded, or have died under her so-called “care” before authorities ban her from keeping animals? 

‘Peta’s £5,000 offer for her to stop collecting animals still stands, and we implore her to take us up on it – for the sake of Doris, this puppy, and any other animals unfortunate enough to cross her path.’

According to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home, an adult Husky typically needs at least 2 hours of exercise every day, often more, alongside extensive mental stimulation through training, play, and enrichment. They are famously independent, notoriously difficult to train off lead, and prone to destructive behaviour when bored or frustrated.

Battersea also said: ‘We frequently see Huskies given up to Battersea. This is because people often underestimate the complexities of the breed and whether they’re compatible with their lives.’

They are also exceptionally vocal. If you’ve ever heard a Husky ‘talk’, you’ll know they’re less likely to bark politely than deliver a full lesson in yodeling.

That’s before you even get to the climate.

Huskies evolved to pull sleds across frozen landscapes. Dubai, where Katie appears to be increasingly building a life with Lee, is about as far removed from the Arctic Circle as it’s possible to get.

Animal welfare laws there recognise the challenge. Because Huskies are so vulnerable to extreme heat, owners are legally required to protect them from high temperatures with adequate cooling, and some guidance even states Huskies should not be kept in apartments because of both their welfare needs and the disruption their vocal nature can cause.

Of course, thousands of Huskies live perfectly happy lives in warm countries with knowledgeable, committed owners who structure their entire routine around keeping them safe and fulfilled.

The bigger question is whether Katie and Lee have demonstrated the sort of consistency any high-maintenance breed demands.

Katie and Lee are a couple whose lives currently involve frequent international travel, legal issues, periods of separation, and prolonged absences from home.

Lee has recently been unable to leave the UAE, has spent weeks in prison, while Katie has been constantly flying between Dubai and the UK.

Most recently, questions have arisen around the dog’s welfare after Lee was reportedly once again put in prison.

Lee’s ex-wife, Dina Taji, has shown the dog on her Instagram and claimed it was dumped at a pet sitter and she rescued it.

She shared images of the dog on social media, and said in a video: ‘I want to hear your opinion of this dog I brought home because I’m getting a lot of messages and I’m starting to learn a lot of things that I didn’t know before,” she began.

She did not mention Lee by name, but described him as ‘this person’ and said: ‘I thought, “I need to save this dog now this person is in jail,”‘

‘I’m always gonna do what’s best for the animal and the person who wants me to send the dog to the UK I don’t know them,’ Dina explained, possibly referencing Katie.

‘So, all of this information I’m starting to receive I need to investigate it. I need to understand what is going on.

‘We need to make sure that these are reliable people that are not going to neglect, abuse, or abandon the pet,’ she said.

Her doubts are certainly valid, given that just this week, one of Katie’s cats, Doris, remains missing, with no public update on whether she has been found.

None of that screams ‘ideal environment’ for a dog bred to crave activity, routine, and companionship.

Normally, I’d caution against making sweeping assumptions based on breed alone. Every dog is an individual, and responsible owners can make unlikely combinations work beautifully.

But Katie Price has long since exhausted the benefit of the doubt.

With at least eight animals having died while in her care over the years and repeated criticism from animal welfare organisations, there’s no question that any reputable adoption agency would reject her bid to rehome an animal.