NEW YORK, Dec. 17 /PRNewswire/ -- Her parenting skills have been scrutinized for months. Now Britney Spears has been voted the World's Worst Celebrity Dog Owner for 2006.
The singer beat Paris Hilton, last year's pick, and Serena Williams in a three-month online poll by readers of The New York Dog and The Hollywood Dog magazines.
"Britney was the overwhelming choice," said editor Hilary O'Hagan. "She once had three Chihuahuas (Lacy, Lucky and Bit-Bit) and never left home without at least one of them on her arm. As soon as she met K-Fed and had kids they disappeared." One of the dogs, Lucky, reportedly took an instant dislike to K-Fed. "It was either Mr. Federline or Lucky," added Ms. O'Hagan. "Unfortunately Britney chose the wrong dog and the rest is history."
Spears had once expressed a wish to be buried with one of her pets "Like the Pharaohs used to get buried with things they loved," she told reporters.
But, in a September interview with TeenPeople.com, before his split with Spears, K-Fed said: "We gave all the dogs to friends of ours. It's just too much with the kids and all these dogs running around all over the place. It just wasn't really working."
Paris Hilton, 2005's title holder, came second in the poll for "treating her dogs like accessories". Serena Williams, meanwhile, polled high after she denied owning her Pit-Bull, Bambi, when the dog bit a security guard earlier this month in Florida.
Oprah Winfrey was voted this year's World's Best Celebrity Dog Owner by the magazines' readers. The host, a champion of animal shelters, owns five dogs, supposedly each with their own nanny. She also popularized the revolutionary canine training methods of Cesar Milan, known as 'The Dog Whisperer,' on her show. Winfrey replaced 2005 winner, singer Joss Stone and beat off competition from Tori Spelling, Nicollette Sheridan and Beth Ostrosky, Howard Stern's girlfriend and a national spokesperson for the North Shore Animal League.
For more information, contact Hilary O'Hagan, editor of The New York Dog and The Hollywood Dog magazines on 212 966 5190 or 917 443 7506
The New York Dog Magazine; The Hollywood Dog Magazine
