Justin Bieber slammed for 'cruel' animal giveaway

Pop star criticized by animal activists after giving away his pet hamster to a screaming fan.

Fri, Dec 21 2012 at 11:09 AM

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Pop star Justin Bieber is well known for his charitable giving - especially when it comes to making dreams come true for sick children - but for whatever reason, he also likes to give away his personal animals.

Earlier this month, Bieber was greeting fans after a concert in Atlanta and decided to bring along his pet hamster Pac as well. While I have no doubt the screaming and general craziness of the moment disturbed the hamster, what Bieber did next likely confused it even more. After a particular fan asked for Pac, the 18-year-old obliged, asked the girl to take good care of it, and then walked away. See ya.

Naturally, animal activists were a little peeved over this exchange (caught on video below) - with the California Hamster Association recently slamming the pop star's action as "animal cruelty."

"(Hamsters) often succumb quickly to illness and death (when faced with) sudden environmental change," a spokesperson told TMZ. "The moment that hamster was handed off to a screaming girl in a harsh, frenzied environment was likely the moment it gazed at the short path to its doom."

Thankfully, Pac apparently survived the ordeal and is reportedly being cared for by the 18-year-old superfan as if he were Bieber himself. The CHA says the right thing, naturally, for the pop star to do would have been to leave Pac in the care of a animal or rescue shelter.

This isn’t the first time Bieber has stirred up trouble with animal activists. Back in 2011, he received flak for selling his baby boa constrictor ”Johnson” to raise money for charity. The snake was later sold – and then immediately donated to the Reptile & Amphibian Discovery Zoo in Owatonna, Minn.

“I found it really disgusting that celebrities like Bieber would stoop to a level of using living creatures as a fashion accessory and then so easily discard it,” the winning bidder told E! Online. ”I am a huge pet and animal lover and was amazed that Mr. Bieber would actually auction off his own personal pet.”

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