He’s known for his incredibly dry comedy and his passionate advocacy for animal rights.
And, Ricky Gervais, 59, has shown his support for a ban on puppy imports following the recent death of Molly-Mae Hague, 21, and Tommy Fury’s, 21, Pomeranian pooch Mr Chai who died just 6 days after being delivered from Russia.
A Government e-petition, which specifically references Mr Chai’s tragic death, was created by Lucy Parkinson, shared on Twitter by vet Marc Abraham and then retweeted by Ricky on Monday.
Animal lover: Ricky Gervais, 59, has shown his support for a ban on puppy imports
Marc’s tweet read: ‘NEW PETITION: Ban the exploitative import of young puppies for sale in UK’ In light of the recent high profile case of ‘Mr Chai’ puppy passing away just 6 days after arriving in UK, please all sign & share this important petition thanks.
The petition states: ‘Plenty of dogs from UK breeders & rescues need homes. Transporting young pups long distances is often stressful, before being sold for ridiculous prices to unsuspecting dog-lovers.
‘Government must adjust current laws, ban this unethical activity on welfare grounds & protect these poor animals ASAP.
‘The recent tragic case of a puppy dying just 6 days after being delivered from Russia has exposed a completely legal but immoral route to market for pups bred hundreds of miles away & sold away from their mums.
Heartbreaking: Molly-Mae Hague, 21, and Tommy Fury’s, 21, dog Mr Chai died just 6 days after being delivered from Russia
‘Exploitative’: A Government e-petition, referencing Mr Chai’s death, was created by Lucy Parkinson, shared on Twitter by vet Marc Abraham and then retweeted by Ricky on Monday
‘Who’s actually inspecting these breeders & transportation conditions?
‘Selling imported pups like this is cruel & appears to contradict the Government’s own advice to always physically “see puppies interacting with their mothers in their place of birth” as with Lucy’s Law in England.’
The petition has been signed by Ricky Gervais and if it gets 100,000 signatures, it will be considered for debate in Parliament.
MailOnline has contacted Ricky Gervais and Molly Mae Hague’s representatives for comment.
Animal rights advocate: Comedian Ricky is known for his incredibly dry comedy and his passionate advocacy for animal rights
From Russia: Love Island star Molly-Mae’s late puppy Mr Chai was gifted to her by boyfriend Tommy Fury as a birthday present
Love Island star Molly-Mae’s late puppy Mr Chai was gifted to her by boyfriend Tommy Fury as a birthday present.
The couple were left devastated when their pet pooch passed away just six days after they got him.
An autopsy revealed Mr Chai’s skull was not fully developed and had left part of his brain exposed.
Tommy bought the dog through Cheshire-based business Tiffany Chihuahuas & Pomeranians, which is licensed by Cheshire Council but not a Kennel Club assured breeder.
The dog’s death was met with backlash from followers, forcing the pair to take a break from the public eye for a few days.
Addressing his sudden death, Molly-Mae said: ‘Whilst we completely understand everyone’s opinions about being shipped over from Russia, what you need to understand is that is not what made him die.
‘He was going to die regardless. The autopsy results showed his skull wasn’t fully developed and part of his brain was exposed. He didn’t have a single white blood cell in his body.
‘If we had the time again we would have got a dog from the UK or got a rescue dog from the UK.’
A representative of Molly-Mae and Tommy confirmed Mr Chai had died of ‘a seizure and neurological issues.’
So sad: A representative of Molly-Mae and Tommy confirmed Mr Chai had died of ‘a seizure and neurological issues’
The UK currently imports thousands of protected wild animals, including tortoises, pythons and monitor lizards, captured from the wild and legally imported into the UK each year, according to the group.
Just says ago, Ricky Gervais was among the stars who have signed an open letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging him to help end the exotic pet trade.
The letter, sent on behalf of World Animal Protection and the Campaign to End Wildlife Trade (CEWT), has also been signed by Sue Perkins, Evanna Lynch, Alesha Dixon, Alison Steadman, Liz Bonnin, Simon Reeve, Leona Lewis, Paul O’Grady and Michaela Strachan