Queer Eye star Jonathan van Ness has tearfully explained why he had to rehome his dog George after the dog attacked his cat Liza, breaking her jaw. The 39-year-old reality star took to social media to share the emotional story, which left fans divided.
The Attack and Immediate Aftermath
Van Ness, who is married to Mark Peacock, recalled the incident that occurred on June 2. He said: "This is a not fun pet and family update. That is our cat Liza. Three weeks ago, I think it was June 2nd, our beloved dog George had a situation with Liza where they were trying to cross each other on the stairs. Liza was p****d and she gave him a little swat but George freaked out and went for her."
He continued: "He wasn't like biting her, but roughhousing going for her and ended up breaking her jaw. I got George off of her, I couldn't tell what the immediate damage was until I got to Liza and saw what I knew was a broken jaw."
Emergency Vet Visit and Decision to Rehome
Van Ness described the chaotic moments after the attack: "I just started screaming, crying, howling for Mark and we got her to the emergency vet. I knew instantly that if she made it, we weren't gonna be able to keep George and thank God for the people at the animal hospital, they performed a literal miracle on her. I didn't think she was gonna make it, and I thought I was gonna cancel my shows."
The decision to rehome George was swift. Van Ness explained: "If you'd have told me that morning that we were gonna be rehoming George that night, I'd have said you were crazy. He's been with us for four years, all the animals got along so well for the most part and this just came completely out of the blue. It's been so gut wrenching."
Finding a New Home for George
Van Ness shared that they found a foster home for George: "We found him a new foster home. Our theory on George is that he is not a three dogs, five cats sort of dog and he just needs to be the only dog in the house."
Fans Divided Over the Decision
The post sparked a range of reactions. One critic wrote: "So you dumped your dog of four years without trying to work it out?!?! I understand protecting the cat, but that didn’t take long. Animals are family. You have the means for training. Not someone I’d trust at all. Poor dog is probably so confused and sad.. but better off. When things get hard you don’t just dump." Another said: "If not biting attacking and had been absolutely fine for 4 years... I don't understand the sudden rehoming/only a one dog home. Pets just like humans have disagreements."
However, many supported his choice. One supporter wrote: "I’m sorry about the weird s***y comments. There’s no need to break down the logistics and why you chose to rehome your dog. That’s a very personal decision. No one knows your family dynamic except you. You were doing the best thing for the DOG, AND your family." Another fan, a vet tech of 13 years, shared: "I’ve been a vet tech for 13 years, worked with a vet whose dog attacked ALL FOUR of her cats in one day, after living with them 5+ years. You can never be prepared for this. Thank you for sharing with us."
Another comment read: "It's not an easy decision for any good pet parent but you're doing this for both the dog and cat's safety. You made the right choice and I'm sure he's going to love being in a single pet family." A third added: "It’s so hard to decide to rehome a beloved pet so sending love and strength to the whole family. I really feel for both animals involved. I’d like to urge everyone to please refrain from judgement - even if you’ve been in a similar situation, you aren’t in this situation. Everyone is trying to do what is best."
