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“This Is So Cruel”: Sydney Sweeney Slammed For Parading Puppy On Met Gala Red Carpet
Sydney Sweeney on Met Gala red carpet with photographers in background, fashion and puppy controversy trending online.
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“This Is So Cruel”: Sydney Sweeney Slammed For Parading Puppy On Met Gala Red Carpet

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Sydney Sweeney brought a furry friend as her plus one to the Met Gala afterparty and while it was an adorable sight to see, fans don’t think it was the wisest decision.

This past Monday, some of the world’s most beloved A-listers swarmed New York City’s Metropolitan Museum of Art to attend the annual Met Gala, with this year’s theme surrounding Black menswear, titled “Tailored For You.”

Highlights
  • Sydney Sweeney brought her German Shepherd puppy as her plus one to the Met Gala afterparty, attracting widespread attention.
  • Fans criticized Sydney for exposing her puppy to the overwhelming paparazzi flashes, fearing it was stressing the young dog.
  • Others defended Sweeney, stating German Shepherds bond strongly with their owners and prefer being close to them.

And while the 27-year-old caused a flurry of mixed reactions with the outfit she chose to wear, one particular moment after the red carpet drew in many eyes — and not in an inviting way.

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    Sydney Sweeney was slammed by fans for bringing her puppy to the Met Gala afterparty

    Sydney Sweeney in a black sequined dress on Met Gala red carpet with photographers and floral backdrop behind her.

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    Image credits: Jamie McCarthy / Getty Images

    The Euphoria star was one of the many celebrities who walked the carpet, stunning in an all-black attire that pooled softly at her ankles, her hair slicked back into a tight bun.

    In one specific clip posted on Reddit, one person managed to capture Sweeney walking out into a swarm of paparazzi — en route to the afterparty — with her German Shepherd in her arms.

    Sydney Sweeney holding a puppy backstage while getting makeup done, relating to Met Gala puppy controversy.

    Image credits: sydney_sweeney / Instagram

    She showed her little friend to the photographers, even pausing to take selfies with a couple of them. While it could have been brushed off as a light gesture, commenters were worried that the dog was feeling overwhelmed.

    Sydney Sweeney showing off her dog to the Paparazzi,” read the concerned caption. “The puppy seems so stressed :( ”

    It appears as if everyone else was in agreement.

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    Those online were worried Sweeney’s dog would feel overwhelmed by the presence of the paparazzi

    Sydney Sweeney holding a puppy on the Met Gala red carpet amid controversy over animal treatment.

    Image credits: taieb_gedeon / TikTok

    Sydney Sweeney holding a puppy on the Met Gala red carpet, with crowd and photographers in the background.

    Image credits: taieb_gedeon / TikTok

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    “All the flashes are stressing me out!” one person complained.

    Another slammed her, saying, “This is awful!” 

    “This is so cruel, take that poor baby inside!” a third ordered.

    Fans thought the puppy looked stressed in the clips that were shared

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    Sydney Sweeney carrying a large puppy on the Met Gala red carpet, sparking backlash over cruelty concerns.

    Image credits: taieb_gedeon / TikTok

    @taieb_gedeon#sydneysweeney♬ son original – taieb_gedeon

    When a netizen asked whether this public attention was a good move, someone replied, “It’s a bad [idea]. Flooding your dog like this can lead to massive reactivity and behavioral issues. Even more so when they’re young and going through fear periods.”

    “Don’t take ur f–cking dogs to such an event wth,” a comment read. “Rich people tend to forget that their dogs just stay normal dogs and not get used to this sh–t as they do.”

    Sydney Sweeney holding a small puppy on the Met Gala red carpet, criticized for being cruel to the animal.

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    Sydney Sweeney on Met Gala red carpet holding a puppy, amid criticism for parading the animal during the event

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    “It hurts more when you remember they dog ears are so much more sensitive to sound — they hear MUCH louder than us humans. How awful for the poor pup,” another stated.

    Although it is unclear how old Sweeney’s puppy is, PEOPLE reported she had announced his addition into her family on April 21, 2025, and had named him Sully.

    When a similar video hit TikTok, the replies were much more light-hearted.

    One person pointed out how sounds are much louder and clearer for dogs than they are for humans

    Two women posing with a small black puppy indoors, capturing a moment linked to Sydney Sweeney slammed for parading puppy.

    Image credits: sydney_sweeney / Instagram

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    Puppy sitting in airplane cockpit seat, highlighting Sydney Sweeney slammed for parading puppy on Met Gala red carpet.

    Image credits: sydney_sweeney / Instagram

    “Yall there are dogs in kennels and in pounds I think the one going to a met gala after party is fine,” one comment read.

    “Germen shepherd owner… they LOVE being w their humans NO MATTER WHAT THEYRE DOING OR WHERE,” defended one person.

    Another reassured, “As a gsd owner of multiple years i can tell you rn that dog would much rather be with her than at home. they are velcro dogs. they wanna spend every second with you for their entire life lol.”

    Sydney Sweeney on paddleboard with puppy in red harness, on calm water under partly cloudy sky, enjoying outdoor activity.

    Image credits: sydney_sweeney / Instagram

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    As Bored Pandapreviously reported, Sweeney’s dress was inspired by Kim Novak’s costume in the 1968 film The Legend of Lylah Clare

    The original fit was designed by Gilbert Adrian—a legendary costume designer—for Joan Crawford in the 1930s before it was adapted for Novak, meaning it carries decades of Old Hollywood history.

    Viewers, however, didn’t think her stylist played to her strengths, with one person saying that while the outfit carried a “vintage elegance” to it, the “drama” and the theme were missing.

    The dress code was drawn by Monica L. Miller’s Slaves to Fashion book, a narrative that emphasizes the movement known as “Black dandyism” and its historical ties to the Harlem Renaissance aesthetic, where attendees are encouraged to reimagine historical outfits through a Black cultural lens.

    One person claimed these kind of events were not an “appropriate environment” for a puppy

    Comment on social media reading That poor baby, reacting to Sydney Sweeney parading puppy on Met Gala red carpet.

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    User comment expressing shock and questioning why Sydney Sweeney brought a puppy to the Met Gala red carpet event.

    Comment on social media post criticizing Sydney Sweeney for bringing puppy to Met Gala red carpet event.

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    Comment criticizing Sydney Sweeney for stressing a puppy at an event, highlighting cruelty concerns on Met Gala red carpet.

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    Comment expressing concern about Sydney Sweeney parading a stressed puppy on the Met Gala red carpet.

    Comment on social media criticizing Sydney Sweeney for parading a puppy on Met Gala red carpet, calling it cruel.

    Comment saying poor dog was scared from women screaming, related to Sydney Sweeney slammed for parading puppy controversy.

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    Comment on social media post saying he looks scared, related to Sydney Sweeney slammed for parading puppy on Met Gala red carpet.

    Comment on social media post criticizing Sydney Sweeney for parading puppy on Met Gala red carpet.

    Comment on social media post expressing disapproval of Sydney Sweeney parading puppy on Met Gala red carpet.

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    Comment on social media defending Sydney Sweeney for parading her puppy at the Met Gala, mentioning the puppy was happy.

    Social media comment criticizing Sydney Sweeney for parading her puppy on the Met Gala red carpet, calling it cruel.

    Comment from Lexi Caputo defending Sydney Sweeney, saying her dog prefers being with her and they are velcro dogs.

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    Comment on social media criticizing Sydney Sweeney for bringing a puppy to the Met Gala red carpet.

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    Comment defending Sydney Sweeney for parading puppy at Met Gala red carpet, highlighting good socialization benefits.

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    Michelle Tian

    Michelle Tian

    Author, Community member

    Read more »

    Hi, there! I'm a newswriter at Bored Panda, born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. I have a bachelor's degree in journalism from Boston University, as well as a philosophy minor. A few of my other hobbies include dancing, reading, cooking, or listening to a true crime podcast. My favourite thing to report on includes groundbreaking news in the field of science — particularly marine biology! I definitely didn't do well very well studying it in school, but being a journalist lets me live out those dreams in a different and exciting way!

    Read less »
    Michelle Tian

    Michelle Tian

    Author, Community member

    Hi, there! I'm a newswriter at Bored Panda, born and raised in Vancouver, Canada. I have a bachelor's degree in journalism from Boston University, as well as a philosophy minor. A few of my other hobbies include dancing, reading, cooking, or listening to a true crime podcast. My favourite thing to report on includes groundbreaking news in the field of science — particularly marine biology! I definitely didn't do well very well studying it in school, but being a journalist lets me live out those dreams in a different and exciting way!

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Author, Community member

    Read more »

    Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

    Read less »

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Donata Leskauskaitė

    Author, Community member

    Hey there! I'm a Visual Editor in News team. My responsibility is to ensure that you can read the story not just through text, but also through photos. I get to work with a variety of topics ranging from celebrity drama to mind-blowing Nasa cosmic news. And let me tell you, that's what makes this job an absolute blast! Outside of work, you can find me sweating it out in dance classes or unleashing my creativity by drawing and creating digital paintings of different characters that lives in my head. I also love spending time outdoors and play board games with my friends.

    What do you think ?
    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One of my dogs caught distemper as a puppy, before I adopted him. He survived, but he is permanently disabled, with myoclonus (constant nonstop full-body twitching), balance and mobility issues, and his adult teeth were also damaged by the virus. This puppy looks WAY too young to have had its full set of vaccinations and is thus at risk of catching something like distemper or parvo. It's okay to carry a not-fully-vaccinated puppy in your arms to allow it to socialize, but there's a photo where the pup is walking on the ground and that is a BIG nope. Pup looks like it's about 9-11 weeks old, way too young to be walking on the ground in an unknown/unsafe/unsanitized area. Puppies can attend puppy classes/playgroups in sanitized areas and obviously can be let out in your own yard (if it is safe), but a puppy this young is at risk of many diseases/viruses with this kind of exposure.

    Apatheist Account2
    Community Member
    7 months ago

    This comment has been deleted.

    LakotaWolf (she/her)
    Community Member
    7 months ago Created by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

    One of my dogs caught distemper as a puppy, before I adopted him. He survived, but he is permanently disabled, with myoclonus (constant nonstop full-body twitching), balance and mobility issues, and his adult teeth were also damaged by the virus. This puppy looks WAY too young to have had its full set of vaccinations and is thus at risk of catching something like distemper or parvo. It's okay to carry a not-fully-vaccinated puppy in your arms to allow it to socialize, but there's a photo where the pup is walking on the ground and that is a BIG nope. Pup looks like it's about 9-11 weeks old, way too young to be walking on the ground in an unknown/unsafe/unsanitized area. Puppies can attend puppy classes/playgroups in sanitized areas and obviously can be let out in your own yard (if it is safe), but a puppy this young is at risk of many diseases/viruses with this kind of exposure.

    Apatheist Account2
    Community Member
    7 months ago

    This comment has been deleted.

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